Dawn of the Crystal Age
by JohnDeath
Summary: A simple accident, a single twist in time, and the world is changed forevermore. As a living enigma returns, the world can only watch in mute shock as all that was believed to be true is turned on its head
1. Chapter 1

**Well, despite my attempts, this little plot bunny demanded to be released into the wild, and I have been helpless but to obey. This is a seldom used crossover, which I feel is a damn shame, because the prospect itself is just too good not to use. So, I hope you all will enjoy it**

 **Disclaimer: This is written solely for my own personal enjoyment and I own no person, concept or idea that is owned or trademarked by others. No profit is made from this story.**

 **Chapter 1**

The stone hallway was dark and dusty, with only faint spots of light coming from small holes in the ceiling. The rough hewn stone walls looked old, as if they and the whole hallway hadn't been disturbed for centuries if not more. So when a young boy wearing over-large and old looking clothes suddenly appeared and tumbled on the floor, a cloud of dust rose, making him cough and splutter as he inhaled some of it. After a few minutes, the boy managed to stop coughing and began to look around, trying to figure out where he was.

"Oh great. Where did I end up this time?" The boy was short, with really messy black hair and almost shining green eyes. He started walking, hoping to find an exit from the strange place where he had unexpectedly ended up. After a few dead ends, he ended up in a larger room, where on top of an altar stood a large black stone scorpion with shining emerald eyes. The boy walked closer to it, amazed by the incredibly lifelike statue. Feeling curious, he reached up and touched it. The moment he did, there was a flash of light, and the boy disappeared. For a few seconds the room remained empty, then with another flash of light, someone appeared.

The new person was a tall, well built adult wearing simple cloth trousers, a pair of leather boots and a tunic-like shirt, with short hair and an immaculate goatee and the same shining green eyes as the boy.

"So, it worked. I wonder what happened to them? Is it still around? Might as well go back to that place until I get my bearings." The man thought out loud before he began to shrink until he look identical to the boy that was here a minute ago, his clothes changing along as well until he looked just like when he arrived. With a turn, the boy disappeared from the room and appeared in an alley in a suburban neighborhood.

* * *

He walked up to one of the many near identical houses on the street marked Privet Drive and he was met right outside by a horse-faced woman.

"Where have you been boy?" She hissed angrily as she saw him walk up the house.

"School of course, Aunt Petunia." The boy replied.

"School was over hours ago. What would the neighbors think of you wandering all over town? Get inside and start on dinner." The woman glared at him until he walked inside and did as he was told.

After dinner, he was sent to his bedroom, which was the cupboard under the stairs, but while the rest of the household went to bed, the young boy disappeared from his cupboard, and the man appeared in the nearby local library.

It took him about fifteen minutes to locate a large map of the world which he laid down on one of the library tables before he waved his hand over the map and slowly, glowing blue-white lines began to appear across the map. Using a notepad and a pen, the man began to take notes, carefully moving his finger across the lines and to various intersections.

Sarajevo - possible key site? Is too unstable?

Scotland - strong possibility, needs investigation

Cairo - investigate old site, high chance of active presence

Australia - possible active site, needs investigation

Haiti - possibly unstable site? presence unknown

Brazil - weak site, other parameters indicate possible location

Japan - remote possibility, needs investigation

"I knew all those concealment wards were going to be a double-edged sword. Well, no use crying about it. They probably found it more than useful." The man sighed and switched the world map to a map of London.

"Now, let's find out where I can get some useful magical books and items." With another wave of his hand, a small blue dot began to glow on the map of the city. "Charring Cross Road, huh? So, the marketplace moved. Good to know."

After putting back everything the way it was, the man vanished without a trace again.

* * *

The next day, as the boy was preparing to take off and investigate at least some of the sites he had looked up last night, he noticed a strange letter amidst the stack of mail for his relatives. The letter was unusual because first, it was made from parchment, and second, it felt magical. He hid it in the overlarge shirt he was wearing and after he left the rest of the mail at his uncle's side, he left the house and appeared in secluded area in the park.

"H. Potter? Is that supposed to be me? How interesting. Hogwarts? To go or not to go? Both options have lots of pros and cons. Well, it might be useful to check things out for a while." The boy vanished again and the man appeared outside an old looking pub called the Leaky Cauldron on Charring Cross Road.

"Welcome to the Leaky Cauldron sir. My name is Tom. How may I help you?" The old barkeep greeted him.

"Jacob Caine. Nice to meet you. I am not from this country, I was told the shopping district was here?" The man replied with a smile. His voice carried the faint hint of a Mediterranean accent, but not enough to pinpoint it's origin with any certainty.

"Of course sir. Right this way." Tom led him to the back, where he used his wand to tap a pattern on one of the brick walls, causing it to open into a gateway leading into a long alley filled with various shops.

"Thank you Tom. I'll be sure to stop by for a drink on my way back." Jacob shook hands with Tom and walked in the alley.

A few questions led him to a large building marked Gringotts, where he was surprised to see goblins acting like bankers. 'Who had the bright idea to let these beasts control their wealth?' Jacob cringed at the idiocy of the concept, considering all he knew about the goblin race.

"What can Gringotts do for you today human?" The goblin's barely noticeable sneer didn't do much to reduce his unease about this whole establishment.

"I have some gems I'd like to sell." Jacob pulled out a small bag from his pocket and handed it to the goblin, who poured them on the scale on his desk, weighed them and then spent some time looking over some of them with a jeweler's eyepiece.

"Gringotts can pay you 3264 galleons, 15 sickles and 24 knuts for your gems." The goblin said after going through some papers.

"That is acceptable." Jacob nodded. "Wait over there, human. A goblin will bring you your money soon. Here is your receipt."

Fifteen minutes later, Jacob left the bank with a large sack of coins inside his coat. He then spent nearly the rest of the day throughout the alley, buying a trunk, all sorts of magical books and ingredients as well as a few sets of clothing, as well as everything that was listed on the letter from Hogwarts.

He stopped by the Diagon Alley post office to send his letter of acceptance to Hogwarts before he went back to the Leaky Cauldron where he had dinner and rented a room.

* * *

Jacob would spend nearly the whole time until it was time to leave for Hogwarts at the Leaky Cauldron or Diagon Alley, reading books or preparing potions he felt would be needed. He also obtained a great deal of non-magical books on various topics, especially science books, which he read avidly, taking lots of notes which inevitably led to him purchasing more books to research the notes he made.

One of the more important things he learned was the history of Harry Potter, which he learned was his birth name. It was an interesting read, though the fame that name carried with it would be both an asset and an inconvenience to him.

Soon enough, he found himself in his younger form on board the Hogwarts Express on the way north.

Thanks to a few spells on his compartment, he was left alone until they had arrived at the school. 'Well, I guess I found the Scotland location. I was hoping to find something else here though.'

No sign of his disappointment showed on his face as he and the rest of the first years were led in the Great Hall of Hogwarts castle to be sorted in one of the four houses.

Everything welt as usual until his own name was called. The whole hall erupted in hushed conversation as he walked up to the Sorting Hat for his own sorting.

'Impressive defenses. I never expected to meet someone capable of blocking me from seeing his memories. Still, I see that you're one of them. Well, that means you need to go to…' "Ravenclaw."

Said house quickly erupted in cheers as they realized they just got the most famous first year in the group.

A lot of the other students seemed surprised and shocked by this, even the teachers seemed surprised, but eventually the excitement died down and the sorting continued.

* * *

Classes began the next day, and it became very clear that Harry did indeed belong in Ravenclaw. Even during the first lessons, he demonstrated intelligence and skill that left even the teachers amazed, and more than a few students were left increasingly envious.

One of the students who seemed the most bothered by Harry's scholarly prowess was his housemate Hermione Granger, who seemed put off every time he surpassed her in class.

"So, have you decided if you want to shag or kill Potter yet?" Hermione looked up from her Charms textbooks to glare at the girl that stood before her, smirk on her face.

"What do you want Chambers?" She returned her eyes to her book.

"Meeting tonight. Tell Lisa." Chambers bent down and whispered, causing Hermione's eyes to widen a bit. "So soon?"

"Tonight. Laters." With that, the older girl walked away. Hermione tried to return to her book, but her mind kept thinking about the surprise meeting tonight and why it was called.

* * *

That night, two girls sneaked down into the Ravenclaw common room and approached the statue of Rowena Ravenclaw. The moonlight revealed them to be Hermione Granger and Lisa Turpin. Hermione stood before the statue and traced a crescent path on the statue before she pressed her hand on the statue's chest, then leaned forward and whispered something in its ear. Without a sound, the wall behind the statue slid to the side, and the girls hurried inside. The wall closed right behind them, leaving not even the slightest seam revealing that there was a door there.

Inside it there was a simple room without decorations or markings, and the sole furnishing was a circle of chairs where four people were already sitting.

"Right on time. Have a seat." The girls did so, and took a look at the other four people in the room. Amanda Chambers was a third year and sat next to Hermione, while Jack Bradshaw was a fifth year, sitting next to Lisa. His brother Robert, a fourth year sat next to him. After Robert sat the sole dark skinned member of the group, the seventh year Jessica Farrow, and the last seat belonged to the fifth year Albert Parker.

"So, what's this meeting all about?" Hermione asked.

"Word from on high. Potter caught the Circle's attention. Drawing him in the fold will be a major coup for us. His name carries a huge amount of influence in magical Britain. And when you take his intelligence and obvious magical power into account, he's someone we can't allow to slip through our grasp." Jessica informed them.

"The Circle wants Potter to join? Isn't he a bit too high profile?" Lisa frowned.

"Normally, we'd avoid someone with that level of public exposure, but fortunately for us, despite his fame, very little is known about him in general. The Circle decided an attempt is to be made." Jessica replied.

"Well, I can see the pros and cons of Potter in our ranks. We can make the pitch, and if he refuses, the obliviation ward will take care of anything we tell him so it's not like we're at risk." Amanda commented.

"Exactly. Here at Hogwarts, such an attempt carries very little risk, and has potentially huge gains. I say we go for it." Robert grinned.

"But who is to make the attempt?" Jack frowned. "None of us have even spoken to him before today, and it would draw unneeded attention if we suddenly started hanging out with a firstie, even if he is Harry Potter."

"Well, that just means we have one of our firstie sisters do the attempt." Albert grinned at the two surprised girls.

"I think Hermione should do it. I don't feel I can do something like that. Sorry." The apology was tacked on when she noticed the look the girl was giving her.

"Alright. I don't like this one bit, but I'll do it. Hermione sighed. The things she did to achieve her lifelong ambition to be a part of the Inner Circle were obviously not going to be nearly as easy or pleasant as she thought.

"Oh, did you hear the news? Our brothers in Australia finally cracked the final prophecy of Kane. Going to be a while before us lowly grunts learn what it says though." Albert changed the topic.

"Really? The one that supposedly foretells the return of Kane?" Lisa exclaimed. "You think he might return to us soon?"

"Who knows what it really says. All I know all his other prophecies have come true. But no use talking about it until we know more. You know my cousin? He told me he and his unit are being shipped to Columbia." Jessica informed them.

"That makes it the third transfer there this month. I guess the Inner Circle has grown tired of overpaying the local drug lords." Hermione frowned.

"Isn't that the truth? Plus I heard the last shipment we got was only fifty percent pure." Jack added. "I can't believe they want us to pay full price for half the stock. Thank god we don't use the stuff, or lots of our brothers and sisters would have gotten sick from the crap they cut it with."

"Well, after we wipe out a few of them, the rest will learn not to fuck with us." Robert grinned.

"Well, they'll have an easy time compared to those two Mossad agents the Circle sent a Shadow squad after in Egypt." The group winced as one as Albert said that.

"Well, how else will they learn not to sniff around Cairo?" Hermione said calmly. "Remember what happened to those CIA agents in Sarajevo?"

"The commandos sure don't fuck around. My uncle said it took their retrieval team three days to find all the pieces." Jack commented.

"Speaking of Sarajevo, news about what's been happening at Temple Prime?" Lisa asked.

"The same usual SNAFU it's been ever since Yugoslavia broke apart. My dad thinks things will escalate soon. For now, the Inner Circle decided to move as much of our people from Temple Prime to Australia and Cairo." Albert said with a sigh.

"You think Temple Prime might come under attack?" Hermione gasped.

"No way. The wards around it are tougher than Hogwarts's and twice as mean. Our brothers and sisters in Sarajevo though are not as protected." Albert said. "That's why the Circle is trying to minimize our presence there."

"Hopefully the whole thing will be an unnecessary precaution." Lisa frowned. "Oh, I wanted to ask my dad to start teaching me how to shoot this summer. Think he'll say yes?"

"I already started. I can't use anything big yet, but at least my accuracy is alright." Hermione told her. "Dad said if I keep at it, he'll get me a rifle for my sixteenth birthday."

"Cool. Maybe we can organize a little shooting contest over Christmas break then?" Jack grinned at the group.

"I'd like that. You're going down Bradshaw." Hermione grinned back.

"In your dreams, Granger." Jack laughed.

"Damn, look at the time. That's all for tonight. We'll have more to discuss on the next scheduled meeting. Good night everyone." Jessica stood up and walked out of the room, and the others followed.

* * *

While Hermione agreed to talk to Harry about joining their organization, she realized she had no idea how to do so, or even how to approach the boy.

After a few days, she finally swallowed her pride and approached him, asking him for help in Transfiguration. To her surprise, he simply smiled and began to explain the spell and principles she asked about in detail, and she found herself understanding it even better than when their teacher explained it.

This set the stage for the next couple of weeks, with the pair sitting in one of the corners of the common room, discussing this or that topic.

"I can't believe Snape gets away with that level of bias in class. And from what I've heard he's even worse towards Gryffindor." Hermione sighed as they returned from their last class of the week, double potions.

"Justice doesn't always prevail. It's a sad fact, but one we have to accept sooner or later." Harry replied with a shrug, and Hermione sensed an opportunity.

"What if you could do something about it? What would you be willing to do?" Hermione asked.

"A great deal. Why do you ask?" Harry leaned towards her curiously.

"Maybe we should speak somewhere more private?" Hermione looked around the half-full room and stood up.

Ten minutes later, they were in an unused classroom far from the beaten path, and the two sat down on some old desks to talk.

"Well Harry, not everyone that sees all the injustice and inequality around them sits idly and allows it to continue. There are people who saw all the wrongness in the world and decided to do something about it." Hermione began.

"Really? Tell me more please. It sounds very interesting." Harry grinned.

"It's an ancient organization, over two thousand years old at the very least, that has existed in the shadows all this time, doing all it can to ensure a better future for all mankind. Sadly, the need for secrecy limits their efforts, but that doesn't mean that they don't do everything that is possible to help. My family has been a member of it for six generations now, and I am proud to be the seventh generation member of the Brotherhood of Nod in my family." Hermione declared with a huge grin on her face.

"I see. I'm afraid I can't join the Brotherhood, Hermione." Harry's word wiped the smile from her face, replacing it with shock. "What? Why?"

"Because I'm already a member." Harry's words caused her brain to freeze for a few moments before she managed to grasp their meaning.

"You're a member? But why don't we know about it? The Inner Circle themselves ordered us to recruit you, so I know you weren't recruited by a higher authority within the Brotherhood." Hermione frowned.

"Ah, but that is where you're mistaken, Hermione. I am not just a member of the Brotherhood of Nod. I am the future right hand of Kane himself." Harry grinned as Hermione gaped like a fish at his declaration.

"Kane? You've actually seen him? He's back?" She stammered in shock.

"Oh yes. He is training me to be the herald of his return. Soon, he will return to the Brotherhood and reveal his great plan to us, but until that time, none may know that he is here now." Harry had to exert all his self-control not to burst in laughter. Claiming that he was his own student and right hand was a very interesting idea, and it had a lot of potential to be useful for his future plans.

"What's he like? Can I meet him?" Hermione exclaimed.

"He's brilliant. It's like he's on a whole different level from us. And what he has planned in the future is going to shock your socks off." Harry grinned.

"Oh please, tell me more." Hermione begged.

"Now, now, Hermione, I told you it's supposed to be a secret. Just tell the others you managed to recruit me. For now, we let the other members I am nothing more than another initiate." Harry chastised her.

"Alright Harry. But just think, Kane is back. It's going to be an exciting time to be Nod." Hermione's grin was near permanent at the thought.

"Down tiger. I know it's exciting, but you don't have to yell it to the world." Harry chuckled as the pair walked back to the common room.


	2. Chapter 2

**A new chapter emerges and with it, lots and lots of world building. I hope this will answer a lot of your questions, and naturally raise a whole lots more. I hope this will be as enjoyable to read as it was to write.**

 **Chapter 2**

In the staff room of Hogwarts, the teachers had gathered for one of their regular meetings, and after the various topics concerning the operation of the school, the teachers turned to discuss the various gossip that was running through the school.

"Potter sure surprised a lot of people by going to Ravenclaw, didn't he?" Professor Pomona Sprout, the Herbology teacher commented.

"Well, considering his class work, it's pretty obvious why the Hat made that decision." Filius Flitwick, the Charms teacher replied. "I haven't seen such skill and intelligence in all my life."

"While I wouldn't give Potter THAT high a praise, his Potions work has been adequate so far." Snape the Potions teacher spoke with his usual sour tone.

"Coming from you Severus, that is high praise indeed." McGonagall the Transfiguration teacher teased her rival head of House. "But I agree with Filius, young Harry has shown remarkable skill in my class. Even his father didn't come close to such performance."

"Has he made any friends?" Albus Dumbledore, the Hogwarts Headmaster joined the discussion.

"He has begun to spend time with one of the muggleborns, one Hermione Granger, as well as a few other of his year mates. It's too soon to say anything more." Flitwick replied.

"Alright. Have you heard about the…" Dumbledore changed the topic, and the teachers spent several more hours relaxing with idle gossip about the antics of various members of the student body.

* * *

That night, in a secluded and secret part of the castle, known only to members of the mysterious Brotherhood of Nod, Harry and Hermione walked in and sat down on two of the chairs in the room.

"We should have plenty of privacy here, Harry. What did you want to discuss?" Hermione asked.

"Well, I need information about the Brotherhood. While Kane and I know the Brotherhood exists, all our information is from the time Kane was last active among them, and since you said your father was highly ranked, I believe you know a lot of the general information at least." Harry informed her.

"I try to stay as informed as I am able to. So Kane has been out of touch with Nod for over two thousand years?" Hermione frowned. "How come? Surely he could have checked in from time to time."

"The Brotherhood had to grow and evolve on its own. Kane's plan depends greatly on it. Even the Prophecies he gave the Brotherhood were borderline, but he knew they would need them in order to not be caught unprepared at key points in history." Harry replied.

"Yeah. Without them, we would have never secured copies of all those books burned or destroyed in Alexandria and Baghdad, as well as avoided or taken advantage of many of the wars that raged across the world." Hermione stated.

"And that's why the Prophecies were made. Now, I want you to tell me of the state of the Brotherhood today."

"It's not an easy thing to summarize, but I'll try." Hermione took a few moments to sort through her thoughts.

"First, the Brotherhood is divided into sections by purpose, like the Militant Arm, or the Science Ministry or the Engineering Corps. Each section is subdivided into independent cells that know only general knowledge of Nod and their own operations. This is done to prevent any attack on us to cripple the whole Brotherhood. The only ones that know the full scope of the Brotherhood's operations are the Inner Circle. For that reason, they never leave Nod controlled locations. They usually stay at Temple Prime in Sarajevo or the First Temple in Cairo." Hermione began.

"As for operations, you name it, we're doing it, with the sole exception of slavery. A number of corporations and companies all over the world are Nod fronts, and we also run a number of charities that not only provide our companies and members with tax breaks, but allow us to legally funnel that money into our own efforts. Many of our brothers and sisters in poorer regions owe their lives to these charities. As for the illegal trade, we are perhaps the world's greatest distributor of narcotics, especially since we don't use any, as well as weapons, though the bulk of the weapons we purchase or produce go to our Militant Arm. We also smuggle lots of other goods, but those are our top dealings."

"It's good to know the Brotherhood is well armed and supplied." Harry commented.

"Indeed. We have top of the line gear, even vehicles, airplanes and ships, but because of our need for secrecy, not that many of the latter. We are at the forefront of scientific development as well, with lots of technologies and discoveries completely unknown by most of the world." Hermione smirked. Not hampered by such petty concerns as laws, or in many cases morals or ethics, Nod scientists had made many advancements in what the Brotherhood called the 'Technology of Peace', even if the Holy Grail of scientific achievement, technosorcery, the combination of magic and technology still eluded them.

* * *

"What about the magical side? How strong are we there?" Harry continued his line of questions.

"One of the strongest factions in the world, if not the strongest. We have tens of thousands of magicals divided across all sections of the Brotherhood. With two major exceptions, they are mostly what you'd expect the average Hogwarts graduate to be like." Hermione said.

"And the exceptions?" Harry was curious now.

"There are two specialist factions in the magical members. The first is the Caribbean voodoo priests. Their arts are unique and not fully understood by outsiders, but their power is unmistakable. While it may take them hours and even days to perform their rites, their aid has been priceless to the Brotherhood. In return for their aid, the Brotherhood keeps them supplied and protected. The second group is the Japanese shinobi clans. Nearly a thousand years ago, Nod made contact with them, and ever since they have served as Nod's Shadow Warriors, hunting and eliminating any who have been deemed a threat to the Brotherhood. Their magic is used mostly inwardly, giving them superhuman physical abilities as well as certain unique skills. They are also masters of poison and disguise, and will pursue a target without mercy until death if need be. The Japanese Ministry works hard to keep them divided and aimed at each other but what they don't know is that all the dead ninjas that fall in these feuds are actually secreted away to work for the Brotherhood." Hermione laughed a bit at the end.

"It is funny when you think about it. And it sounds like we've made some strong allies over the years. Kane will be pleased."

"Do we have many enemies?" Harry asked.

"Our various fronts are harried by different organizations across the world, but they all assume they're dealing with a small, independent organization, and this leads to the downfall of their operations. We know to lay low and even abandon operations to ensure secrecy is maintained, so the world has no idea we even exist. The goblins are the only ones that know that a greater organization exists in the world, but even they have no idea of the scale. That hasn't stopped them from trying to fight us, but since they're not supposed to have a standing army, and we're not supposed to exist, all we've done so far is lots of spying and little fighting for nearly three centuries now." Hermione explained.

"Good. Until Kane reveals his great plan, secrecy is paramount. The goblins will be dealt with in time. The vermin should never have been allowed to gain the power and influence they currently have." Harry sighed. He had a lot to deal with before his vision was complete.

"What about Tiberium?" Harry brought up the mysterious and intriguing crystal one of his experiments in the past had created. Made from crystals found in certain magical areas of the Tiber river, he called it Tiberium.

"In that regard, we haven't been as successful. The biggest discovery we've made was its use in our power generators. Using a crystal the size of a chair inside a special alloy chamber, we can convert the radiation it releases directly into electrical energy, avoiding the use of steam or turbines of any sort. One of Nikola Tesla's greatest inventions. Sadly, most of his work was lost or destroyed when he was assassinated. Other than that, the only discoveries we've made are the different types of Tiberium." Hermione replied.

"Different types? I thought the only type was the green crystal form?" Harry frowned.

"We've discovered that under certain conditions it forms blue and red crystals. The blue ones are denser, but also flammable. The red ones release a lot more energy but they are also unstable and unless contained properly, break down into green crystals quickly. And then there's liquid Tiberium." Hermione told him.

"Liquid Tiberium? I didn't know it could turn into a liquid." Harry was intrigued by this new discovery.

"It was a recent discovery. One of our more gifted scientists, one Selene Lovegood managed to force Tiberium crystals into a new, liquid form. Unfortunately, the new form proved too unstable and reacted poorly to some of the spells and enchantments used in the laboratory, causing the sample to detonate and destroy the whole facility along with the research team working on it. If it wasn't for an enchanted set of parchment linked via a prothean charm to an offsite location, we would have never known about the discovery or what happened. Still, it took months to secure the area and clean up the Tiberium contamination. Fortunately, we managed to clear the area before the crystals began to spread, as we don't have the means to control their growth like Kane did. Our projections state that a single crystal, left unchecked can engulf the entire planet in Tiberium in a century. Therefore, all our samples are kept very securely without the means to spread." Hermione replied.

"I see. Well, Kane will be very interested to hear about these discoveries. Tiberium plays a key role in his plans." Harry commented.

"Do share. If you're able to I mean." Hermione asked eagerly.

"Well, I can show you one thing tomorrow, but only if your dedication and faith in the Brotherhood is strong enough." Harry gave her a soft smile.

"I live or die as the Brotherhood wills. My faith is unwavering." Hermione stated firmly.

"Alright. We'll meet again tomorrow." Harry smiled at her. While Harry remained in the room for a bit longer, Hermione went back to her room to finish her homework.

* * *

"So, what is this big mystery you mentioned yesterday?" Hermione was burning with curiosity when they met again the next day.

"It's something Kane discovered about Tiberium, but was unable to fully test before he went away, until he met me. He called this discovery Divination, and it's a process through which one can safely infuse Tiberium in a human being." Harry's answer shocked her speechless.

"But Tiberium is pure poison, not to mention radioactive. Anyone that's ever been exposed to it died slowly and in agony." Hermione protested.

"But they didn't have Kane. Remember, Kane made Tiberium. A tiny part of his magic exists within every shard. The crystal needs to be tuned to the recipient, and then, if their faith is strong, they will survive and be transformed through its power." Harry explained.

"Why should our fate matter if the crystal is tuned to us?" Hermione frowned.

"Remember what I said? A small piece of Kane's magic exists within every shard. If you don't uphold the ideals of the Brotherhood, why should you be empowered by its greatest secret?" Harry explained.

"So it's basically the ultimate test of faith? I have no fear then. My faith is strong." Hermione said firmly.

"We shall see if it is truly so. Hold out your hand." Hermione did so, and in a flash, Harry's hand swung down and slammed a shard of a glowing green crystal in her open palm.

Shocked by the sudden pain, Hermione stared in surprise as the shard slowly seeped into her arm, the wound closing rapidly. The last thing she saw were her blood vessels turn bright green as the Tiberium spread into her bloodstream and up her arm before she passed out.

Harry caught her before she fell and set her down on one of the chairs. An hour later, she slowly woke up, feeling groggy as hell.

"Congratulations Hermione. Your faith has been tested, and you passed." Harry smiled at her.

"So, what are the benefits?" She asked after a minute.

"A small boost to your physical prowess, huge boost to your immunity, you'll probably be able to shrug off all but the most dangerous diseases and toxins, your magic will be somewhat stronger, and as an added bonus, it makes you immune to legilimency." Harry replied. "Oh, and you're now immune to Tiberium poisoning. In fact, Tiberium radiation will strengthen you and accelerate your healing."

"Alright, I get most of it, but why does it make us immune to legilimency?" Hermione frowned.

"How much do you know about spell creation theory?" Harry asked.

"Not that much. I don't think I am good enough to create spells yet." She replied.

"The reason why we're immune to mind reading is the same reason werewolves are. Legilimency is designed to be used on human minds, and since Tiberium alters our brain chemistry and neural composition, with regard to this spell, we don't fit the criteria it has set for what it is to be human. If one tried to read your mind, all they'd get is gibberish and a huge headache. Now, it's possible to create a spell that could read our minds, but it would take at least ten times more power and near superhuman focus to perform." Harry explained.

"I see, but some things are still unclear to me. Why would this new spell be so much harder to perform?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Because it has to encompass a greater amount of variables. The more things a single spell needs to perform, the more complicated it is and the more power it needs to function. That's why the spells we use are so specific. They're the most efficient method to perform that specific task with magic. Of course, a strong enough mage can compensate for this limitation, but not everyone is Merlin." Harry grinned.

"Or Kane." Hermione added with a laugh.

* * *

The weeks passed quickly, and while the other Nod members in Hogwarts knew him as an eager and dedicated initiate, and the rest of the castle as a gifted and intelligent student that kept mostly to himself and his small circle of friends, none could even imagine the plans and goals he secretly sought to achieve.

Even Hermione, his closest confidante had no idea of what he was really planning. He had no specific thing to point to as to why he confided in her so, but the same instincts that guided him in his selection of the first members so long ago told him the same thing about the muggleborn girl. She had a lot of potential, and she would go far indeed with his guidance.

"Mars shines his light upon you. War and suffering follow you like hungry dogs." His habit of walking the grounds and the edge of the forest seemed to have not gone unnoticed, as a trio of centaurs emerged from the woods to intercept his path.

"Perhaps they do. What concern is it of yours?" Harry shrugged. Centaurs had great skill in predicting the future, but that didn't mean what they saw always came to pass. The future was always in flux.

"Your path is difficult to read, strange one, but we are certain of one thing. Your presence brings a war unlike any this world has seen." A different centaur spoke this time.

"Ah, but am I the cause, or the counter to it?" Harry smirked inwardly. The best way to deal with them was to cause them to question their interpretations.

"That remains to be seen. But Mars has been brightening for a long time, and we feel the time for war is nearly upon us." The first centaur said firmly.

"The question remains then, what do you intend to do about all that? Do you mean to act?" Harry loosened his wand in his holster. His wand was truly unique, made from a single piece of obsidian, with a Tiberium core and a perfectly cut ruby on the tip. It also had a special enchantment on it to hide it's true appearance.

"You mean, if we intend to attack you?" The last centaur smirked at him. "If we were, you would already be dead, human."

"I am not as easy to kill as you believe me to be, centaur. But since you haven't given me reason to fight you, I will simply say thanks for the warning and bid you good night." Harry gave them a nod of his head and turned back to his castle.

"I hope you won't remain as suicidal in the future brother. You felt his power yourself. If we had tried anything he would have ended us in a heartbeat." The centaurs remained still until Harry had vanished from their sight.

"We had to be sure our visions were correct about him. There is far more about Harry Potter that meets the eye. What he will do even we cannot see, but whatever the outcome, it will only come through blood and death." The leader spoke grimly.

"We will wait and see, and if we have no other choice, we will act. For the good of Mother Earth." The last centaur added and the trio turned around and cantered back into the forest.

* * *

"What do you know about the events happening in the castle right now?" Harry asked Hermione during their usual meetings.

"According to our agent in the staff, Dumbledore is using the Philosopher's Stone as bait to lure Voldemort out of hiding, and possibly as a test for you." Hermione replied.

"Really? So Dumbledore believes Voldemort still lives in some way. Well, it's possible. There's certainly ways to do so." Harry frowned.

"The question is of course, what method he used." Hermione pointed out.

"True. Still, no use worrying about it. Even if Voldemort managed to return to full power, even a wizard of his level is only one man. He can never challenge the Brotherhood." Harry raised his hand as Hermione opened her mouth. "That doesn't mean I will underestimate him. He's certainly strong enough to cause us a lot of trouble before we put him down."

"What do you intend to do about it?" Hermione asked.

"Ignore the whole thing of course. Dumbledore may try to play his little games, but I am not his pawn to be manipulated. The old goat may be many things, but he's not stupid enough to allow Voldemort to get his hands on a relic like the Philosopher's Stone." Harry shrugged.

"Shouldn't we get our hands on the Stone ourselves?" Hermione frowned.

"The risks far outweigh the benefits. Dumbledore won't let the Stone vanish without trying to find out where it went, and neither will Flamel." Harry reminded her.

"You're right. It would have been a tremendous boon for us though." She sighed.

"Yes, but Divination can already do most of it's effects for us. The boosts it gives also include a greatly increased lifespan. For a strong mage, that can easily mean around five centuries." Harry pointed out.

"Alright, you made your point. So any plans?" Hermione asked.

"Nothing for now, but Kane did say he planned to go to Cairo over the winter holidays to meet with the Inner Circle." Harry told her.

"They will be pleased that Kane has finally returned." Hermione grinned. "As will the rest of the Brotherhood when they learn of it."

"Well, I was told that by the summer, all of Nod will know that Kane is back." Harry grinned.

"I can just imagine the celebrations that will cause." Hermione laughed.

 **AN: I know some might comment on the rushed pace of the story, but my intention for it to move the story forward to the real meat of the story, as the HP part is intended to play a minor role in the grand scope of the story**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: All recognizable characters and concepts are owned by their respective companies. No profit is made from this work of fiction other than the enjoyment of the writer and its readers.**

 **AN: Hey everyone. Here's a new chapter for this exciting new story, one I hope you will all enjoy. While I used names that you will recognize from other sources, that doesn't mean that these people are the same as they are in the source material, nor that that it exists in this fandom. I have used recognizable characters to avoid loading the story with OCs and to give readers a more visual feeling for the characters.**

 **Chapter 3**

The time at Hogwarts seemed to pass quickly between lessons, homework and socializing, and soon enough it was Christmas, and Harry found himself one of the few students staying in the castle. As he awoke, he noticed that there were several wrapped packages at the foot of his bed. For his first real Christmas, it was certainly a pleasant experience. He too had sent his new friends at Hogwarts some gifts, nothing fancy, just various trinkets that he thought the recipients would enjoy to have. One package however intrigued him. It contained a cloak of strange, silvery material, and when he put it on, he discovered that it made him invisible. Extending his senses into the material, he could feel the age and power of the item, which made him even more interested in it.

The note that came with it claimed it belonged to his father, which just raised more questions, without any clear answers, but he believed it was simply more of Dumbledore's plots for him. Still, the cloak could be useful, so he simply pocketed it, finding that the cloak could fit inside his pocket with barely a bulge. With that done, he decided to move on with his own plans. He had a lot to do, and time was always in short supply.

* * *

Two days later on the outskirts of Cairo, inside a heavily warded and well hidden pyramid a group of five people were walking towards the most protected room near the tip of the pyramid. These were the Inner Circle of Nod, the undisputed leaders of the entire Brotherhood.

As they walked in however, they were surprised to see a tall man with short black hair, piercing green eyes and an immaculate goatee was already inside the room, sitting in one of the six chairs around the hexagonal table in the middle of the room with his feet propped up on the table.

The sheer surprise and the confusion as to how this man penetrated the second most defended location available to the Brotherhood left them standing in shock, which allowed the man to speak first.

"Have you ever looked at it and marveled at its potential?" Kane began, raising his hand, showing he was rolling a shard of Tiberium in his hand and holding it up so that he looked at them through it. "I often have. Such a simple little thing, hiding so many secrets."

"Well, that explains how you got through the wards. There was a back door after all." An old Asian man with a heavily scarred face and wearing an eye patch spoke as he sat down.

"I assume you're convinced about my identity?" Kane put his feet down and put his hand on the table after pocketing the shard.

"Even in my prime, I wouldn't be able to breach this room undetected. And only a suicidal fool or Kane would touch Tiberium with their bare hand. That has always been a most reliable test to weed out the fools who believed themselves to be Kane reborn." The man replied as the rest of the group managed to recover from their surprise and sat down as well. "Watching them crystallize and die in agony was certainly enjoyable."

"Well, now that I have convinced you that I am indeed Kane, perhaps you'd like to introduce yourselves? After all, I'd like to get to know my Inner Circle." Kane smiled softly.

* * *

"Shimura Danzo, head of Nod's Militant Arm. I have overall command over all combat operations across the globe. I have also served as a Shadow operative for fifty-two years. While age has caught up with me, I am still a capable fighter." The first member introduced himself. His sole eye was barely open, but even so, his gaze and overall posture spoke of a man of exceptional lethality.

"I have no doubt of your ability, Shimura-san. I am pleased my army is in such competent hands." Kane gave the man a nod of respect.

"Dr. Miranda Lawson, head of the Science Ministry. I oversee all our research projects across the globe. I was the protégé of the late Selene Lovegood, and while I admit I don't possess her unique brilliance, I am still a very competent scientist and administrator." The second member was a tall, black haired woman with a distinct Australian accent. While she was fairly beautiful, there was a spark of something in her eyes that was somewhat unsettling.

"Good to know, Dr. We will cooperate very closely in the coming days to advance the Technology of Peace." Kane nodded at the woman.

"Dr. Raymond Shen, head of the Engineering Corps. Anything Dr. Lawson and her boys cook up in their labs, we can build it. I have been running things for thirty-six years now, and I am proud to say my department runs like a well oiled machine." The third member was an older Asian man with balding hair and glasses perched on his nose. While he seemed pleasant at first glance, there was a certain hardness in his eyes that said that he wouldn't hesitate to do whatever it took to accomplish the goals set before him.

"Richard Wilkins, head of the Sunnydale Foundation. It is a collection of charities that the Brotherhood operates to funnel our profits back into Nod as well as provide members in the poorer regions of the world with the basic necessities of life. It is something I pioneered and organized as I felt the need to provide support to the various members across the world that are not a part of my respective colleague's departments. And while I am a squib, I am also the third highest ranking potioneer in the world." The man looked like an average bureaucrat, with a pleasant smile on his face and a gentle demeanor, but his eyes showed that beneath that façade was a man who would gladly tear out your heart and eat it before your eyes if you crossed him.

"A most laudable goal, Mr. Wilkins. The ultimate goal of the Brotherhood is after all to help the unfortunate. And your second accomplishment is most impressive as well. Who are the other potioneers that make up the top five?" Kane asked.

"Number five is William Dagworth-Granger, mostly thanks to the teaching of his grandfather Hector. Four is Horace Slughorn, and despite his many faults and bad habits he is still one of the best Hogwarts has produced. Number two is White Owl, a Cherokee shaman. He works for the American Ministry of Magic in return for concessions for his people. And number one is an ally of ours. Papa Midnite is the leader of one of the Haitian voodoo cults tied to the Brotherhood." Wilkins replied.

"Good to know. Potions are a dangerous art. I am pleased that the Brotherhood can benefit from your hard earned skill." Kane nodded at Wilkins.

"Dolores Umbridge, leader of the Black Hand of Nod. My task is to root out and deal with any elements within the Brotherhood that act contrary to the path you set out for us. The Black Hand was formed a century after your disappearance to ensure our survival and prosperity. We also train Confessors who help teach and guide our members on matters of faith. I was one personally before I was appointed as head of the Black Hand. Helping those struggling with their faith has been the most rewarding time of my life. While we try to solve the problems we deal with without violence when possible, we also do not hesitate to eradicate any that would harm the Brotherhood. I am also the Senior Undersecretary of the British Minister of Magic, a role that has benefited us immensely." The final member was a short, well built woman with a somewhat average appearance and short auburn hair held in a tight bun, but her voice was strong and firm, and in her eyes burned the fire of a true believer, one who's faith just received a tremendous boost by the return of the Prophet.

"That is indeed a high ranking position, but how exactly has it benefited us?" Kane asked curiously.

"As you may be aware, Britain is currently heavily biased towards non-pureblood mages, as well as inhumans. I have personally encouraged this via various forms of legislation, causing nearly eighty-five percent of British muggleborn mages to eventually find their way to the Brotherhood or to one of our public fronts. And a recent law put into effect practically delivered the bulk of the werewolf population to our open arms." The woman smirked evilly. Several decades of work had weakened magical Britain considerably while strengthening the Brotherhood, and the inbred morons at the Ministry actually thanked her. Who knew that the day she murdered her violent beast of a father when she was fourteen would also be the day she was rescued from a pair of rapists by a Nod Confessor who took her under his wing would lead to this? If only her adoptive father was alive today to see the day Kane returned to the Brotherhood.

"Excellent work Miss Umbridge. You are truly an asset to the Nod." Kane smiled. "Well, now that we all know each other, let's get down to business. The reason that I have waited this long to return is simple. Now is the time that the Brotherhood finally has the numbers, the resources and the technology to begin work on phase two of my great plan." This declaration surprised the Circle. It seemed they would finally learn the very purpose of the Brotherhood's existence.

* * *

"What phase two consists of is simple, but the implementation will be anything but. Phase two basically consists of making the Brotherhood come out into the open." Kane shocked them.

"You want us to go public? We don't have the means or the resources to do that. We'll be crushed to dust." Danzo exclaimed.

"I didn't say we do it immediately. We do it when we're ready for it, and do it on our terms. To do so, I have already begun working on some things, and this is where you two come in." He pointed to Umbridge and Lawson. "I have devised a process I call Divination that allows a human to be safely imbued with Tiberium. This infusion provides a small boost in physical, mental and magical ability, a highly improved immune system as well as immunity to Tiberium. In fact, being around Tiberium will actually make you stronger and make you heal ten times faster. Madam Umbridge, once the Inner Circle has received Divination, you will teach the procedure to your Confessors who will administer it to the rest of the Brotherhood. Just so you know, only those whose faith is pure will survive the process. Consider it the final test of faith for the initiates." Kane began explaining.

"It would be an honor to receive this gift." Umbridge grinned, thinking about finally having a way to separate the faithful from those that just paid lip service to the teachings of Kane.

"The second part is this. I am not sure how useful it will be, but I have high hopes for it." He pulled out a bottle of thick, grayish-black liquid and passed it to Dr. Lawson. "When Tiberium is melted down in the presence of a specific magical field, that is the result. From my analysis, it is a mixture of various elements."

"I'll give it to some of our labs and see what they can cook up. Anything else?" Dr. Lawson gave the bottle a careful examination as her mind pondered the possibilities.

"One last thing." Kane smiled and reached into his coat again, pulling out a small device the people present recognized as a portable radio player. Their surprise when Kane turned it on and it began to play a song from a local radio station was palpable.

"That's impossible. The amount of magic around this room should have completely fried ever piece of electronics in the device." Dr. Shen exclaimed.

"Unless the device actually runs on magic. It wasn't easy, but I found a way to make electronics work around magic. Tiberium was the key, apparently." Kane smiled and opened the casing of the device. Inside, linked with the circuitry was a small plate of bronze-like material that had tiny bits of Tiberium arranged in an unusual fashion.

"Is that a rune? I don't recognize the design." Danzo frowned. The versatility of runes was a tool Nod Shadows knew well, and all of them were familiar if not experts in the various types used across the world.

"Yes, but it is a runic alphabet I designed myself. This little trinket adapts the electricity running from the battery into energy that is not only unaffected by magic, but can also be safely used by the device." Kane explained.

"I can't even begin to imagine the things we can accomplish with that alone. And this material is unaffected by Tiberium too? Amazing." Dr. Lawson was all but ready to skip around the room in joy.

"Yes. It is possibly the only thing other than the containment spells I taught the Brotherhood before I left that can keep Tiberium in check. However, I anticipated the fact that we will need much greater supplies of it, which is why I have devised the means to grow large amounts of Tiberium safely. I have devised spells that can be used to create borders around an area within which one can allow Tiberium to grow unchecked. And yes, the spells define depth as well. With these spells we can grow as much Tiberium as we need and still do so safely and secretly. Remember, the secrecy of Tiberium is paramount. No one outside of the Brotherhood must know about it, and above all else, no samples can be allowed to leave our control. It's power must not be allowed to come into the hands of our enemies." Kane warned them.

"Shimura-san, if phase two is to proceed smoothly, we will need a lot more men and hardware. While I know that we can never truly achieve parity with the great powers of the world in this regard, I have no intention of facing them in a straight-up fight. They will chase us while we strike from a hundred different directions, bleeding them dry before the battle had even begun." Kane turned to the head of his military.

"I agree. Even with massive buildup, in a straight fight, we'll lose. An asymmetrical war using surprising unexpected tactics is our best chance. They will adapt eventually, but it will give us the initiative and if we bleed them well enough the first time, they move forward more cautiously, giving us even more time and let us move in for the killing blow." Danzo smiled. It was indeed a scary sight. Far across the world, a great number of people in the Japanese Magical Ministry shivered and the Minister's favorite tea cup cracked in half.

"You intend to fight a war against the world's great powers then?" Wilkins asked.

"I fear war is inevitable. And yes while I intend to fight a war, I don't necessarily intend to win it if it proves too costly. The war is needed, but only secondary. A fight between Nod and the great powers of this world is needed to usher in phase three of my great plan." Kane smiled at their surprised faces.

"Phase three sir?" Umbridge asked curiously.

"I will reveal that in time. Have faith my children, for the future awaiting us is more glorious than you could ever imagine." Kane smiled softly. "Now, I believe it is time for you to receive Divination. Madam Umbridge, would you care to go first?"

* * *

An hour later, the members of the Inner Circle were awake again, feeling better than they have in years.

"You all know what needs to be done. Work hard, for this summer the Brotherhood will know that their Prophet is once again among them. And in a few years, the whole world will speak the name of Nod, either with hope or scorn in their voice. Now go, for there is much work to be done, and very little time to do it in." Kane stood up, and in a single step, vanished from the room.

"I've read the writings about him, but to actually see him in person…" Umbridge began. "His brilliance and charisma is incredible. I don't think I've ever met a man like him, nor will I ever again."

"You can say that again. We've been trying to combine magic and technology for a century now, and he just turns up and hands us the solution. Do you have any idea what we can do with that and a material that's unaffected by Tiberium transmutation? I'm practically climaxing at the thought." Lawson grinned as she cradled the radio player and the bottle of broken down Tiberium like they were her children.

"Your crass remarks aside, I have to agree with you. If his Tiberium refining idea produces results, it can provide us with a great deal of resources we'd have to spend money to obtain, which would mean even more money will be available to obtain things we can't otherwise." Wilkins joined in.

"Agreed. If we can replace the source of raw materials from mining to Tiberium refining, we can drastically increase our factory output while maintaining secrecy." Shen added.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. We still need to figure out how useful this stuff will be. I do have a few ideas already for a weapons system though. One of our recent experiments demonstrated a very interesting effect Tiberium has on lasers passing through it. With divination and this new material, I think I can really improve on this idea." Lawson tapped the bronze-like plate inside the radio.

"New and more powerful weapons are always welcome, but increasing our numbers will not be as easy. We'll need to drastically step up recruitment, and that will make it even harder to maintain secrecy. Madam Umbridge, I fear your Confessors will be heavily overworked in the next few years." Danzo added.

"We welcome the challenge to fulfill the Prophet's vision. No true son or daughter of Nod would do any less." She replied calmly.

"Well, like the Prophet said, we have a lot of work to do. Do as he ordered, but don't spread the word that he has returned. These discoveries were made a while ago, but the Inner Circle has been discussing the implications of their use carefully which is why they haven't been revealed until now. We will let Kane reveal his return in his own time. Still, I am glad I decided not to retire just yet. The future promises to be an exciting time to be Nod." Danzo's scarred face stretched into what might have been a smile on a far less scarred face.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey everone, here's another chapter of my little work. I hope you like it. It was real hard to write, and while some parts felt a bit rushed, I decided to put this out so I can move on the next chapter.**

 **Chapter 4**

After his return to Hogwarts, Harry spent his time either reading or exploring the castle. There were many secrets hidden by Rowena Ravenclaw when the castle was built that could be only discovered by a member of Nod.

On one such trip, Harry stumbled on a large mirror placed in an abandoned classroom. Noticing the writing on the mirror, he realized this was another of Dumbledore's plots, and casting a special detection spell, he picked up a number of spying spells layered across the room. Still, curious as to what he would see in the fabled Mirror of Erised, he stepped forward and gazed into its silvery surface.

The sight was certainly impressive to say the least. He saw Kane, standing on a stage before a massive stadium bursting with people, all of them cheering wildly, and he now knew what it was he desired above all else. To see his vision fulfilled, his people victorious.

Smiling a bit at the sight, he turned away and walked out. He was never one to dwell on dreams, but on actions. Over the next few days he continued to explore the castle, and he was amazed to see just how entwined the Brotherhood was with Hogwarts. There were hidden rooms all over the castle, all of them having served some purpose at some point, but as Nod established their own sites, the locations at Hogwarts fell into disuse. Nowadays, Hogwarts was a location linked more with prestige than utility. On one of these explorations, his journey led him to one of the less frequented areas of the castle, where he noticed a hidden Nod passage that looked older than any other he had found. The path through was long and winding, but eventually led to a small dusty office filled with books and blackboards covered in writing and equations. He recognized the writings as those commonly used in spell research, but he was uncertain what the spells worked on were, although he could see they were very complex ones.

"Welcome brother. It's been a long time since I've had a visitor." He looked up and saw a large portrait was hanging right above the entrance, portraying a black haired woman in a radiant blue dress with almost golden bronze trim that enhanced her figure and a distinctive diadem on her head.

"Lady Ravenclaw. It is an honor to meet you. From what I've been told, the Brotherhood owes you a debt it can never repay." Harry smiled at the Founder.

"You give me too much credit brother. I did no more or less than I was able." The portrait replied with a faint blush.

"I disagree. And to show you my appreciation, I will share my greatest secret with you." Harry smiled and in the blink of an eye his shape shifted to an adult form. "Lady Ravenclaw, Kane at your service."

The woman's eyes grew huge, and her mouth made a very good fish imitation as she tried to grasp the revelation.

"Ha. I knew you were real and would come back. Who's crazy now, Salazar you slithery sod?" The portrait exclaimed suddenly, shaking her fist at the ceiling.

"I take it Salazar was a member too?" Kane smiled inwardly at the woman's antics.

"Late in life, but yes. The true reason he left was to aid the Brotherhood abroad. It is thanks to him that the shinobi clans joined the Brotherhood." Ravenclaw replied.

"Impressive. I wonder what would have happened if all four of you were members of Nod?" Kane mused.

"Helga might have joined, but as capable as she was, the poor dear was too scatterbrained and loose lipped. She would have exposed us in a fortnight. And Godric was too damn chivalrous for his own good. That's what got him killed in the end after all." Rowena sighed.

"Well, members or not, they sound like remarkable people. I've been catching up on what has happened with the Brotherhood in my absence, and your accomplishments are impressive to say the least. You managed to improve my Tiberium containment spells significantly." Kane smiled at the portrait who blushed deeply under the praise.

"Thank you, but I just applied newer methods to the spells. The true brilliance is Tiberium itself. How did you create something so amazing? My work with it was mostly theoretical and I still know I barely scratched the surface of its potential."

"It was not what I was aiming to create to be honest, but sometimes, it is our accidents and mistakes that end up teaching us the most." Kane admitted.

"Truer words have never been spoken. That's how I created my portal system. I was trying to create something completely different." Rowena sighed.

"Portal system? Please share, milady." Kane asked curiously.

"I was trying to devise a new transportation method as I personally hated that new fangled floo system everyone was raving about back in the day, and I both succeeded and failed. My portals could form a link between a pair of them up to almost a thousand miles, and the passage between them was as easy as walking through a door, plus you could move back and forth without issue." Rowena sighed. "Despite that, they had massive drawbacks as well. Only a single portal can exist in a ten mile radius, and they can't remain active for more than three hours before they need six hours to cool down and recharge. I was told that Nod was using them to create an underground network, so I guess they weren't a total failure."

"It is a valuable and powerful creation despite its drawbacks, milady. I am certain the Brotherhood has put it to good use." Kane assured her.

"I believe so, but it has been nearly two centuries since I've spoken to a member of Nod. I am curious about one thing if you're willing to share with this old piece of canvas. Why did you create the Brotherhood?" Rowena asked, her eyes practically burning with curiosity.

"Well milady, if you can keep a secret, it was for…" And so, Kane told her, making the portrait stare in awe at his words.

"Mum's the word, milady. I'll try to visit you again if I am able." Kane tapped his index finger on his lips, and Rowena nodded with a smile.

"You are always welcome here, Prophet. It was an honor to make your acquaintance." Rowena curtsied in her portrait.

"Likewise milady. Until we meet again." Kane blew her a kiss that made her blush deeply before he stepped forward, shifting in his younger form mid-step and walking out of Rowena's sanctum.

* * *

Soon enough, the students returned back and classes began once more.

"How were your holidays Harry?" Harry looked up from his book to see Hermione standing with a smile on her face.

"Calm. I spent most of the time reading and walking around the castle. I do have a bit of news though. Try to be in Cairo for the summer." Harry smiled back.

"It won't be easy to convince daddy, but I'll do my best." Hermione nodded and walked away to her dorm to get ready for the new term.

* * *

Meanwhile in the Headmaster's office, Dumbledore and Snape were discussing their most famous student.

"I admit I have my doubts about the boy Albus. He's far too capable for someone raised to be ignorant of our world. Talent alone can't explain his competence." Snape commented.

"I understand your doubts, but I see no way how he could have received this training you claim he has. I've kept a close eye on him and he hasn't slipped my watch for more than thirty minutes at a time. Nor has any magical person entered his home area without my instructions since I've placed him with his family. There have been students as good as him, and by all accounts, he works really hard." Dumbledore reassured him.

"I hope you're right Albus. We can scarcely afford to have him turn into another Dark Lord." Snape sighed.

"On that we can agree. I just wish he would show just a smidge of interest in the third floor corridor. He hasn't even gone close." Dumbledore complained. His little test would clearly show the nature of Harry's character. "It seems I might have to test him in other ways."

"What are you going to do about the Stone and Quirell then?" Snape asked.

"If he makes an attempt, I will let him think he has managed to draw me away and then confront him as he reaches the mirror." Dumbledore's gaze was stony as he spoke. He hated risking his school and students like this, but to prevent Voldemort's return, he had no choice but to take risky actions and hope for the best.

* * *

True to Dumbledore's prediction, near the end of the term, Quirell did make the attempt to steal the Philosopher's Stone, and as he had said, he was there to confront the man as he reached the final obstacle before the stone.

"Dumbledore? But how?" Quirell was obviously surprised to see his master's most hated enemy standing calmly before him.

"Despite what the press may claim, I am neither foolish or senile. I had hoped you would abandon this foolish quest, but it seems both of us will end up disappointed this day." Dumbledore sighed and raised his wand.

Considering that a half-dead man and a weakened spirit were facing one of the strongest mages of the modern age, the outcome was hardly in question and a few minutes later, Dumbledore was standing over the cooling corpse of Quirell, staring at the patch of wall where the spirit of Voldemort passed through after he fled from Quirell's body.

'You've fallen far too low Tom, I just hope too many people won't die to correct my mistakes with you.' With that, the man walked away.

* * *

A week later, the First Temple in Cairo was bursting with people and many were discussing the recent advances the Science Ministry unveiled, and the reason for the unexpected call for assembly. While no one knew exactly what was going on, the sentiment was that it had to be something huge for the Inner Circle to arrange for not just as many members to be present in Cairo, but to broadcast this assembly to every Nod site on the planet. Arranging it all took months and it was a bitch to keep a secret.

Somewhere in the middle of the large hall sat Hermione along with her dad, Major Daniel Granger, publicly a member of Her Majesty's SAS. Famous among his men for being a total hardass, when it came to his princess, the man turned to putty in a second.

"I'm still wondering why you insisted on coming today. Sure it's a bit bigger than the usual assemblies, but I don't think it will be any more exciting than the last one." The man turned to his daughter.

"You might be surprised." She smiled back. If the assembly was about what she thought she was, today was going to be very exciting indeed, and she couldn't wait to see Kane in person. Harry was very unfair for not letting her meet him, she huffed as she turned her eyes to the stage. It seemed the show was about to start.

The crowd in the massive hall in the lowest part of the pyramid grew quiet as Dolores Umbridge, the High Confessor of the Brotherhood stepped to the podium.

"Children of Nod, hear me. I know you are all curious as to why you've been gathered here, so I will not keep you in suspense. This is a most momentous day for our Brotherhood, as it with the highest honor and greatest joy I give you Kane." Umbridge stood to the side as a new figure simply appeared on the stage and stepped up to the podium.

The cameras broadcasting to the large screens behind the stage captured his visage perfectly, and all members saw the pendant bearing the Nod symbol carved from pure Tiberium hanging from his neck.

Of course, the moment was carefully designed for maximum effect by Kane. Apparating inside the heavily warded room and wearing the Tiberium pendant were meant to erase any doubt in the minds of the members before it had a time to take root and grow.

"Rejoice my children for I have returned, never to leave your side again. You have grown strong and independent as I knew you would when I left, but the time for our greatest challenge to date draws close, the day when we rise out from the shadows and show the world the power of the used, the forgotten, the abandoned and the damned.

The people of this world shake in impotent fury as they are forced to work for scraps, to see their countries raped and ravaged, to have their homes destroyed and their families shattered. I say no more. These suffering brothers and sisters have nothing but their anger. And we will take this spark of rage and grow it to a great conflagration that will engulf all those who would seek to place their boot to our neck. Today is the day the world screams 'Enough! We will be oppressed no more.' Stand strong my children, for the time of your deliverance is at hand. Remember our tenets as we liberate this world from those that would lay claim to it. Unity through Brotherhood, Strength through Unity, Peace from Strength." The whole crowd stood mesmerized as Kane began to speak, captivated by his every word. "One vision, one purpose."

"Peace through Power. Peace through Power. Peace through Power." It was a few moments before one brother shouted the response, until the whole hall was chanting it wildly, their zeal burning like a forest fire.

* * *

After the assembly, the highest ranking members of Nod gathered for an official personal meeting with the Prophet.

"I understand your concern Prophet, but we are well prepared for the conflict. We have members in place in practically all tiers of the local governments so we'll know their every move. It will be hard to maintain secrecy and evacuate people at the same time. I fear casualties will be inevitable." Alexander Kovacs, the commander of Temple Prime's Militant Arm replied to Kane's questions about the situation in Sarajevo and the surrounding region.

"Do all you are able to commander. There will be time for revenge once we come out in the open."

"Do you have a moment, Prophet?" Miranda Lawson walked up to him followed by a little girl with pale blue eyes and prominent, curious eyes.

"I always have time for my Science Minister." Kane gestured for them to sit while Kovacs excused himself.

"This is Luna Lovegood, my mentor's daughter, and perhaps the most uniquely intelligent person I know." Lawson introduced her companion.

"A pleasure to meet you, young lady." Kane took her hand and gave it a quick kiss.

"Thank you Prophet. What you seek is on the war world." Luna replied and took a magazine titled the 'Quibbler' to read.

"Selene suspected she has some form of Sight. We haven't been able to test it reliably, and her words are very unclear." Lawson answered the unspoken question.

"I see. We'll see if what she says will be of use eventually." Kane replied but inwardly he was intrigued. Luna's words were a hint, but to what exactly? And what did it mean?

"I see you've taken the time to show off your protégé, Lawson. I suppose the rest of us should do so as well." Kane turned to see the rest of the Inner Circle approach his table.

"Not my fault I was closer, Shen." Miranda gave him a haughty look.

"This is my daughter An-Yi, probably the only engineer better than me." Shen spoke with his hand on a blushing twelve year old.

"Call me Lilly, dad." she pushed his hand away.

"That is high praise from a man of your ability, Raymond. I look forward to your accomplishments, Miss Shen." Kane's gaze made the girl blush even harder and moved to hide behind her dad.

"This is my own student and adopted daughter, Faith. She recently finished her first year in the Salem Magical Institute." Wilkins approached with a black-haired girl wearing a very punk-rock outfit.

"Nice to meet cha." She shot off, trying to hide her nervousness with aloofness.

"Likewise. I trust you are happy under Richard's guidance?" Kane smiled at the girl.

"Yeah, he's cool. Everyone at Salem is sooo jealous that THE Richard Wilkins is my dad." She grinned and Wilkins ruffled her hair which she tried to swat away. "Dad, you're embarrassing me in front of everyone."

That drew out a round of laughs from everyone until they noticed Danzo and Umbridge approach their group.

"It seems my Inner Circle all decided to bring young talent tonight. Who are your companions my friends?" Kane asked, noticing the young boys following the pair.

"This is Orochimaru. His parents recently fell against forces of the Imperial Ministry, and the clan leaders decided he would benefit from my guidance. Though young, he is considered a prodigy of the Snake style and a genius of poisons." Danzo introduced the pale-skinned black haired boy that barely raised his head to whisper a greeting. "I fear he's still grieving Prophet. They were very close."

"Understandable. You will have your chance for revenge, my young friend, I promise you." Kane smiled encouragingly at the young boy.

"Thank you, Prophet." Orochimaru mumbled.

"I guess it's my turn now." Umbridge presented a ten year old boy to the group. "This is the youngest full member of the Brotherhood, and the one I hope will succeed me one day, Anton Slavik."

"A full member already? Your dedication is truly admirable." Kane was indeed impressed. To pass the initiate trials at such a young age required unbreakable faith and dedication.

"I was merely guided by your vision, Prophet." Slavik replied, not daring to look Kane in the eyes.

"He's just being modest, sir. He's already one of our most promising commanders. In our training simulators, he's the only undefeated commander in ANY scenario." Umbridge said proudly.

"Impressive indeed." Kane reached forward and raised the boy's head until their eyes met. "I think I'll see great things from you in the future."


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey everyone. Despite my best efforts, the holiday season proved too chaotic for writing pursuits, so my work was rather delayed, but I hope you will find this next installment enjoyable nonetheless.**

 **Chapter 5**

The revelation that Kane was once more present to lead the Brotherhood as before galvanized Nod like nothing before. Recruitment shot through the roof, productivity skyrocketed and members signed up for the Militant Arm in droves, all of them eager to fight and die if need be to fulfill Kane's vision.

Meanwhile, Kane was meeting with Dr. Lawson to discuss the progress of the Science Ministry over the past months. He knew that if his plan had any chance of working, Nod's Technology of Peace had to be as advanced as possible. The main facility of the Science Ministry was deep underground in the middle of the Sahara, to minimize damage in case of any accidents, and to keep their work as secret as possible.

"Your discoveries have caused a sort of renaissance among my men. We've made more progress in the last six months than in the past sixty years. I wonder what you'll come up with in the future." Lawson commented as she led him in her primary lab.

"Who knows, Dr. The future is never clear. Now, let's see what you've been working on." Kane shrugged.

"Alright, on with the show I guess. The first thing I wanted to show you is the Tiberium resistant material you gave us. We're calling it Tiberite due to its links to the crystal. I have over two dozen researchers working overtime exploring potential technosorcery applications. There's been little progress there apart from a few discoveries, but we've made some advancements with the material itself. Other than its normal state, we're also using it ground into dust to mix with paint to make Tiberium resistant coatings for vehicles that might end up exposed to the crystal. Interestingly, smelting the alloy under extreme pressure forms the metal into a new crystal lattice that retains its resistance to Tiberium but is transparent as glass." Lawson began, showing him samples of the alloy he developed.

"Interesting. Any use for the transparent Tiberite?" Kane asked.

"Oh, lots. It has helped me fully develop an idea I've had for years but had no way to test safely. Over here. And you'll need these." Lawson led him to a table and handed him a pair of tinted safety glasses.

* * *

"This is an ordinary laboratory laser easily bought on the open market. At its strongest it can burn through a sheet of paper, but nothing more." True enough, the blue laser beam burned through the piece of paper in a few seconds, but was stopped by the steel plate behind it. "Now, watch this."

Lawson turned off the laser and placed a rectangle of Tiberium encased in transparent Tiberite and what looked like a Tiberium lens also enchased in a Tiberite shell at a precise distance after the rectangle. This time, after the blue laser hit the rectangle, a thick beam of red light emerged from the other end and hit the lens which focused it back into a narrow beam, and when the beam hit the metal plate, it burned a hole right through, and it seemed it was making good progress on the block of steel behind it when Lawson turned it off.

"I'm still working on how and why, considering we barely understand Tiberium itself, but properly cut, it boosts lasers like you wouldn't believe. We're already started working on military applications for this effect, and the results are very promising. We've developed a brand new pulse laser system that uses a capacitor charge to create a very powerful laser pulse that lasts only half a second but with the Tiberium assembly combined with it, every pulse packs the same punch as a round from an assault rifle, and unlike ordinary bullets, its effects on living tissue are interesting to say the least." Lawson smirked and led him to a second lab.

"Contrary to popular fiction, laser weapons don't just burn a neat little hole in humans. All materials absorb energy at different rates, and water and fat absorb it far faster than anything else in the human body. Observe." A different assembly was aimed at a pig carcass, and with a press of a button, a short flash of light hit it, blowing a fist sized ragged and smoking hole in it.

"I like it. Though I take it this weapon will be difficult to mass produce? And any other problems with the system?" Kane turned to Lawson.

"On an infantry scale, yes. The system is actually easier to build as it scales up. As for problems, for some reason, lasers coming out of the Tiberium assembly are always red. We discovered it's because a tiny fraction of the energy is turned into red light. The loss is negligible but we don't know why at this time. We're also having serious problems with heat buildup in the assembly after a few shots, but we'll figure it out. Despite these drawbacks, we already have designs for tank-grade guns and something special." Lawson showed him a small model of an obelisk-like tower with a large gem on top.

"We call this bad boy an Obelisk of Light for it will shine Nod's cleansing light upon the Brotherhood's foes. It uses massive capacitor banks to charge a huge pulse laser assembly. The gem on top is a targeting prism. This bad boy can take out all but the heaviest armored vehicles in a single shot according to our calculations." Lawson grinned proudly at Kane's look of approval.

* * *

"Now, we have another weapons design, that while not new, we were unable to build in a usable form until now. As you know, Nod managed to recruit Nikola Tesla after he was fired by Edison, and he had invented a great deal for us, like the Tiberium fueled power plants we use. Unfortunately, his failing mental health near the end of his life led to him to run away from the Nod facility where he was working with most of his records. By the time he was recovered, he had destroyed most of his research for some reason. One of the designs we managed to restore was the Tesla gun." Lawson pointed to a large device that looked like a radio antenna with various electronic components strapped to it and it ended with a fist-sized metal ball framed by a pair of high-tech prongs.

"Our recent advancements using Tiberium and Tiberite to construct high energy capacitors and superior laser systems finally made this weapon a viable prospect. Observe." The device gave an ominous hum as the capacitors charged, and a second later electricity ran down the device before it arced from the orb and straight into the same pig that was used as the laser target from before, blowing it into chunks.

"Impressive, isn't it? The electrical discharge is set at a very accurate voltage, frequency and intensity, causing almost all water in the target to instantly vaporize. Due to its properties, it has a similar effect on steel, inducing strong currents that rapidly heat the metal until it melts, but its range is rather limited. Plus without the masers on the side to provide guidance to a target, it tends to shoot randomly. We originally used lasers, but they weren't as effective." Lawson commented.

"Impressive indeed. I think our highest ranked soldiers can use something like this considering this looks to be rather powerful for a man-portable gun. Even with its limited range, its effect on enemy morale cannot be underestimated." Kane pointed out.

"You have a point there. It's a very complex weapon so reserving it for our elite makes sense. And speaking of elite units, I have made a very intriguing discovery with the conversion component you designed. Apparently, it can also convert electrical current into nerve signals and vice versa. We're still at the concept stage at this point, but this will revolutionize prosthetics. With a proper interface system and training, the user can learn to use the artificial limb just as well as a real one. And we can use it for something else." Lawson led him to a different lab where an emaciated man lay slack-jawed in a bed hooked up to various machines.

* * *

"This is the result of attempting Divination on a recently deceased body. To our surprise, the process actually revived the dead tissue, however it did nothing to restore brain activity. For all intents and purposes, the body is no different than a Dementor victim. Obviously, like any other attempt at resurrection, Divination does not have the power to draw back the soul. But with the addition of the conversion circuit, this opens a lot of possibilities for us. The Divination seems to sustain the body indefinitely, provided it does not suffer too much damage, but even then, as long as the heart, spine and brain are intact, the body endures. Using electronics we can create a new type of warrior, and equip it with much stronger weapons and armor." Lawson was obviously excited about the potential of her discovery. "I've even begun designing a new system that uses the raw processing power of revived brains combined with hardware to create a completely new type of computer, maybe even an AI. I'm calling it the Cybernetically Augmented, Biologically Assisted Lifeform or CABAL for short."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves Lawson. And no creating AI without my express permission. Something tells me it won't be a good idea. I do like your cyborg warriors idea though. As long as the Nod corpses you process volunteer for it before expiration. You're free to do whatever you wish with the bodies of our enemies." Kane stopped her short with his reluctance, but she could understand his reasoning.

"I would never treat a fallen brother or sister with anything but the utmost respect. They die to fulfill our purpose." She said firmly.

"Rightly so. Now, this is all good for infantry scale engagements, but we're going to need heavier stuff as well if we want to match the armies of the world. How are we doing on vehicles and aircraft?" Kane asked.

"That's a bit of a mixed batch to be honest. We have bought a lot of surplus gear over the years and we've worked hard to keep them as modern as possible, but some of the stuff is as old as WW2. Considering we've been buying stuff from all over the world, our stock is rather varied. I don't know the precise numbers as that is not my department, I can say we stand at about the same level as a very strong Third World country. But, we do have a way we think will bring us up to par, thanks to another of your discoveries." Lawson led him to yet another lab, and the first thing he noticed was the blast of stifling hot air that hit them the moment the doors opened. The cause of this appeared to be the several furnaces spread around the room.

* * *

"The sample of molten Tiberium you provided gave us the idea for this project. We've experimented with dozens of combinations of temperature, duration and the tuning of the magical field you designed and we've came up with the best ones. Depending on what we want, we can melt down Tiberium into different mixtures comprised of various elements. We can then use these mixtures in various ratios to basically rapidly construct various components using injection molding. One team actually proposed a way to produce components by assembling them layer by layer, effectively working as some sort of 3D printer. A bit farfetched, but I'm not dismissing anything at this point considering our plan is to design a system that can take these mixtures and rapidly construct vehicles in the field. We're still years away from a workable system, but once we figure out all the kinks, we'll have a system that can construct anything in the field as long as it's supplied with refined Tiberium. This will also completely free our dependence on external sources for materials, meaning we'll only need to import things like food and such." Lawson explained proudly.

"Yes, I can see the potential for this system myself. I want you to focus as much as possible on this and the Tiberium harvesting systems. I daresay when we come out in the open we'll need Tiberium by the tons. We have only a few years to become a power that can match NATO, after all." Kane reminded her of the daunting task that lay before them.

"It won't be easy, but we will not fail you, Prophet." Lawson's words seemed to make the lab workers stand a little straighter and work a little harder. "We've already designed a proper Tiberium containment ward, and our brothers in the Engineering Corps are busy planting fields all over the globe, waiting for us to design a complete harvesting and refining methods."

"The last step of the tour is the technosorcery lab. I think you'll like the work we do there." Lawson grinned as she led the way.

* * *

Inside the lab it was pure chaos as the scientists worked all over the place with notes and blackboards scattered around the large room, and various tables with projects in various stages of construction.

"What we've been focusing mostly is into translating spells and enchantments in the new runic alphabet you constructed and finding applications for them. Right now, our biggest successes have been the energy absorption enchantment for use in high-grade capacitors, and the shrinking and expansion charms for ammo storage." Lawson began.

"With our design, we've created a capacitor that's a thousand times stronger than anything on the market, which prompted us to create a new battery design as well. Thanks to Tiberite and its effect on Tiberium we finally found a way to stabilize liquid Tiberium and we've designed a battery that uses it. It's designed as a tiberite casing that houses two chambers, one filled with liquid Tiberium and the other with lithium, divided by a Tiberite barrier several microns thick, the energy storage capacity of this thing is frankly insane. A unit the size of my palm can power the laser cannon I showed you for about two hundred shots. We're going to start using them pretty much everywhere once we establish a proper production line."

"What about maintaining secrecy? And you mentioned a use for shrinking and expansion charms?" Kane asked.

"I'm glad you asked. Here, this is what the battery looks like when completed. You'll notice the casing is aluminum, and not Tiberite. This is what the casing looks like before it's sealed." Lawson showed him the two halves of the aluminum casing and he noticed that it was covered with engraved writing, making out an enchantment.

"A vanishing spell? Set to vanish everything within and then itself if I'm not mistaken." Kane turned towards Lawson who nodded with a vulpine smirk.

"If the casing is compromised in any way, the spell triggers, vanishing the Tiberite and the liquid Tiberium, leaving only supercharged lithium behind. In that state, even exposure to air is enough to ignite it. We're using this system on everything that contains Tiberium or Tiberite and might conceivably fall into enemy hands. We're also designing scorched earth systems should any enemy penetrate our secure sites. The secrets of Nod will never fall in the hands of the enemy." Lawson's tone was stony as she said that before her face relaxed.

"You asked about the shrinking and expansion charms? We're using them on the ammo lockers on our vehicles. We've designed a system that shrinks tank shells as they're fed into the ammo locker and then enlarges them when they're fed into the firing chamber. This way, our vehicles can store a hundred times more shells than they'd usually be able to. We've also designed expanded fuel tanks for our old stock, but we plan to build our new vehicles with electrical motors, as making petrochemicals from refined Tiberium is not that efficient. This will not only make them quieter, but give them a much bigger operational range when combined with our batteries. We might even equip some heavy vehicle variants with miniature versions of our Tiberium reactors. And speaking of a quieter vehicle, one of my scientists proposed we build a stealth tank. It's been a daunting task to be honest. We need to combine a disillusionment charm, a silencing spell and a heat absorption enchantment into a single system, and after Luna pointed it out, we also designed a spell that erases the tracks as soon as the treads make them. I can't believe we almost missed something that obvious. The progress is slow I'm afraid, but you'll be proud of the design of the vehicle itself. We've armed it with a pair of independent MRLS turrets, each packing six rockets, with a rapid reload system that can restock both turrets in just ten seconds, and an expanded ammo storage carrying about a hundred and twenty rockets. The rockets can be fired as heat seeking for aerial targets or IR targeted for ground targets. Since they're a lot more complex then tank shells we can't shrink them, and expanding the storage more becomes far too expensive if we want this design to be cost effective as well."

"Well, I'm sure you'll figure things out Dr. Lawson. Can your stealth systems be adapted for infantry use?" Kane asked.

"I haven't considered it, but I think so. Maybe if we based it on a self-contained suit to keep any heat emissions escaping combined with the silencing and disillusionment charms, but it would still have to be used by someone skilled at stealth like…" Lawson's eyes widened at the implications. "Ok, now that's a scary thought. Danzo's bunch are scary enough without a suit that makes them undetectable."

"My thoughts exactly. Maybe we can also design a version for our commandoes to use as well. They can use something to get them close to their targets before the shooting starts." Kane grinned. Nod's commandoes were a scary bunch indeed. Drawn from all walks of life, each was trained with a particular focus in mind, until they became the pinnacle of human skill in their chosen field, often using medical and/or magical boosts that would be considered illegal or immoral anywhere else. In any other military force on Earth, these soldiers would have been dishonorably discharged, but in Nod they were highly valued both for their skill and unquestioning loyalty to the Brotherhood and Kane. In the upcoming war, the enemies of Nod would shiver in terror at the thought of these fearsome warriors, and while commando programs were rapidly implemented after the start of the war, none came close to producing a match for these soldiers for a long time.

"Keep up the good work Dr. Lawson. I expect regular reports on your work." With that, Kane vanished, only to reappear in his bedroom back in the Dursley's house, where he was surprised to find a wide-eyed house elf waiting for him.


	6. Chapter 6

**Another chapter done for this little story, and I hope you enjoy it. I apologize for the rushing, but I want to get through the Harry Potter cannon quickly so I can move onto the C &C part. Please bear with me, as it will be well worth it.**

 **Chapter 6**

While Kane was busy with his briefing from his Science Minister, across the world, a single man would soon take a step into a much larger game. Jacob Qatar sat with a small smile on his face on a luxurious leather sofa with a beer in hand and a naked dark-skinned girl dancing right in front of him. He had finally achieved his life's goal, and for a man of thirty-four, that wasn't a small feat. His Coptic grandfather came to the USA with just the clothes on his back, and now, his grandson controlled nearly all street gangs in Los Angeles.

"Boss, phone call for you." One of his subordinates rushed in.

"Tell them to call tomorrow. Business can wait one night. We're celebrating tonight." Jacob called out, causing his men to cheer and the girls to dance harder.

"But boss, the call is from Gabriel Tosh." The mention of that name froze the room still and all cheer vanished from the gathered faces. The voodoo high priest of LA was one the most feared crime lords in the city.

"This is Qatar." Jacob took the offered phone with a heavy gulp. He didn't know what the man wanted with him. His gangs hadn't messed with Tosh and he tried to think if he had somehow offended the man every Caribbean gang in the city swore fealty to.

"Nice to meet ya, Mr. Qatar. You've been making lots of waves lately. Growing real big. People notice things like that." Tosh sounded faintly amused, even if it was covered a bit by his heavy Jamaican accent.

"I hope there are no problems between us because of my actions." Jacob asked after a few moments to collect himself.

"If there were, we wouldn't be speaking now, would we?" Tosh's voice sent icy chills across his spine. He certainly knew what happened to people Tosh was angry with.

"Then may I ask why a busy man like yourself called me tonight?" Jacob allowed himself a soft exhale. He wouldn't be dying tonight it seems.

"To invite you to a meeting. Tomorrow at six, come alone to the Scorpion club." With that, the call was ended, leaving Jacob alone with his thoughts.

* * *

The following day, Jacob arrived as instructed at the Scorpion club where the bouncer promptly led him inside, and to his surprise, he found the usually popular club completely empty.

"Ah Jacob. Right on time. Come, the others are waiting for you." Tosh greeted him and led him towards a private room. The massive, broad shouldered Jamaican was even more imposing up close, and Jacob shivered every time his milky white eyes turned towards him. It was well known the man was blind, but the way he moved would make you think twice.

When they entered the room, Jacob couldn't believe his eyes. Gathered before him were most of the crime lords of the city. Why was he invited to such a meeting?

"Let me introduce the group, though you probably know them by reputation if not by appearance. This is Tommy Vercetti, the Godfather of Los Angeles." Tosh pointed to a middle-aged Italian man with combed back dark brown hair.

"How you doing man. Heard a lot about you." Tommy gave him a small smile.

"Next is El Scorpio, leader of the Columbian LA cartel." Tosh pointed to a Latino man with long hair and a heavy scowl. He only gave him a small grunt.

"He's a man of few words. Next to him is his Mexican counterpart, Machete." Jacob shivered as the man's eyes met his. Machete was a hardened killer with several dozen kills attached to his name.

"And finally, Boss Tanaka of the Japanese Yakuza." The well dressed Tanaka seemed a little out of place next to the brutish looking Machete and El Scorpio, but he was in no way any less dangerous.

"What about her?" Jacob noticed a woman wearing leather pants and vest over a purple shirt and a kabuki mask concealing her face sitting further back in the room.

"She is here merely as an observer. You need not concern yourself with her." Tanaka replied. He clearly knew the woman and wasn't pleased about her presence.

"So, if I may ask, what's this all about?" Jacob asked.

"Your work has caught our eye. Uniting the minor street gangs of the city was a clever ploy, though not an easy one. The big players usually ignore them other than to make sure they don't interfere. But put together, and all these small fry suddenly become a shark." Tanaka began. "But a shark on our side is a different matter altogether."

"We saw potential in you, which is why we've helped you out a bit. Not much, just to clear out the biggest speed bumps in your way and see how far you'd get." Tommy continued.

"Thanks for that, but I can't help but notice that not every criminal organization is represented here." Jacob pointed out. The absence of the Triads alone was a big red flag in his eyes.

"What ties us together is more than the fact we're all criminals, true. We all have our superiors, and we act according to their direction. Outside these walls, as far as anyone else knows, we're rivals and enemies. If the law knew that we're actually allies they'd shit a whole brick warehouse." Machete grinned at him, making him shiver. Jacob had killed before, but he wasn't even close to a butcher like him.

"You join this council, and your future is assured. We keep you informed of any raids against your groups, keep you out of jail, inform you of any undercover agents in your men, supply you with weapons, drugs and anything else you need at cost, and more." Tanaka gave him a firm look.

"And what do I give in return?" Jacob asked.

"Ten percent of everything you make, and anything this council asks of you, you do, no questions asked. That is the price for everyone here." Tosh replied.

"A steep price, but not an unreasonable one." Jacob replied after a moment.

"As a token of good faith, we'll tell you the names of the two undercover agents in your organization. Tomorrow, I will send men to hit your drug den in the Purple Dragons territory. Three days later, El Scorpio will do a drive by on the parking lot at the south end near his territory. If you make sure these two men are there, we'll make sure they're no longer a problem." Tosh added.

"You do that a lot? And how do you know they're cops?" Jacob frowned. He had hit on something really big here.

"We know the names and identities of every undercover agent in the city and possibly the state in each of our organizations. Our superiors have very deep connections. We organize raids against each other to eliminate these individuals without drawing too much attention from the law." Machete smirked. "Having our rivals kill these people along with some disposable or disloyal men keeps our organizations clean and the law remains ignorant that we know who their people are."

"Alright, I'm in." Jacob said after a few moments. He had nothing to lose and plenty to gain after all. The meeting kept on for hours and Jacob realized just how much power and influence he had gained this day.

"I have to ask, since it's going to bother me if I don't, but who was the woman in the back?" Jacob asked Tosh after the others left.

"I see that you're determined to know, and despite my better judgment, I will tell you. She's the right hand and personal assassin of O-Ren Ishii. And before you ask, she is the boss of bosses of all Yakuza groups worldwide." Jacob gasped at that.

"Wait, the leader of all Yakuza is a woman? I thought the Japanese weren't that big on female leaders?"

"Normally you'd be right, and it's even worse considering O-Ren is the child of a Chinese mother and a Japanese-American father, but even a hardcore traditionalist like Tanaka won't speak against her considering who's backing her." Tosh grinned.

"And who is backing her?" Jacob was almost afraid to ask, but he wanted to know.

"Someone even Papa Midnite fears. I will say no more but know that in Japan his name is enough to make grown men piss their pants." Jacob shivered. Papa Midnite was the bogeyman of the Caribbean. Someone even he feared was hard to imagine.

As he left, he was unaware of just how important a step he had made, and indeed, it would be many decades before the true results of his decision would be known, but in the meantime, he had a gang to return to and a business to run.

* * *

Across the ocean in Surrey Harry had finally overcome his surprise about the unexpected visitor in his room and his mind shifted gears to determine why it was present.

"And who might you be, my little friend?" Harry asked politely but inwardly his mind was working fast to determine what was going on. House elves were powerful but they were also not used by Nod. Since they were created by accident, the Brotherhood could not be sure how reliable or stable the beings were, and for an organization that placed secrecy above all that was a risk they couldn't afford.

"Dobby. Dobby the house elf." The small being replied timidly.

"And what brings you here?" Harry sat on his bed and faced the elf.

"Dobby has come to warn Harry Potter. He must not go back to Hogwarts. Terrible things will happen there this year. He must stay safe." Dobby said quickly. By his tone and skittish behavior, Harry realized the elf was going against his master's orders to be here. This was another reason Nod didn't use them. A determined and mistreated elf could go against his master's will if he found even the slightest loophole.

"I see. And what will you do if I decide to go back anyway?" Seeing the panic in the elf's eyes he added "I am just asking you."

"Whatever it takes. Dobby will protect Harry Potter." The elf spoke firmly but his face shifted to surprise and shock as he looked down and saw the handle of a blade sticking out of his chest.

"I'm sorry my little friend, but I cannot allow any interference in my plans, regardless of how well intentioned it may be." Harry knelt down and retrieved his knife from the elf's corpse before he pulled his wand and vanished the corpse and the blood.

"It seems there will be more excitement at Hogwarts this year as well." Harry grinned and began to prepare for his trip to Diagon Alley.

* * *

Picking a quieter day, Jacob Caine quickly bought all he needed and soon enough, Harry Potter was on his way to Hogwarts. While he didn't concern himself much with what was happening in Hogwarts considering his global plans, he did notice that Luna Lovegood had joined Ravenclaw this year, since she too was aware of Nod, and he had noticed that some of the girls responded to her unusual behavior and mannerisms with bullying.

"What's going on here?" Harry's voice cut through the group of four girls that had cornered the fidgety blond in a corridor not far from the Ravenclaw dorms.

"Just teaching this firsty how things are done at Hogwarts, Potter." Marietta Edgecombe, a girl a year above him and the obvious ringleader turned to face him, hoping that she could convince him to walk away considering their greater numbers.

"It looks to me like you're bothering my friend. Move along Luna, I'll help you with your transfiguration homework as soon as I've thanked your friends for looking after you." While his tone was pleasant and his words harmless, all four girls felt a chill down their spine. While Harry mostly kept to himself and his small circle of friends, his reputation, skill and power were well known in the school, and few were willing to challenge him.

"Alright Harry. Transfiguration is really hard. I'm happy I have you to help me." Luna gave him a radiant smile and walked away.

"I will only say this once. Bother her again at your own risk." Harry snapped and turned away as well. It was five minutes before a single one of the quartet was even able to blink.

"You didn't have to do that, Harry." Luna whispered as they were working on their homework.

"You are my sister, Luna. And the debt the Brotherhood owes you will take a long time to repay." Harry whispered back. Luna's eyes misted as they always did when her mother was mentioned. She was happy that Nod took such good care of her and her father after the accident, but she would always want her mother back.

"Thanks Harry. I'm happy you're my big brother." Her smile came back as she hugged his arm. In response, he simply patted her head and gave her a smile back. This is what he was fighting for, and even though he knew that his plans would cause a great deal of pain and suffering, he felt deep down that it was something that had to be done, and that in the end it would be worth it.

* * *

Life continued to be peaceful for a while until Halloween rolled up and the school was greeted by a macabre display of the caretaker's cat being found petrified and hanged from a torch over a message written in blood stating 'The Chamber of Secrets has been opened, enemies of the Heir beware'.

The student body exploded with rumors and speculation over the message and its meaning, but fortunately for Harry, he had a source that could provide the information he needed, and at the soonest available moment, he sought out the portrait of Rowena Ravenclaw.

"Your Eminence, to what do I owe the honor of tonight's visit?" Lady Ravenclaw curtsied as Harry walked in her study and sat down across the portrait.

"The Chamber of Secrets. What can you tell me about it?" Harry asked.

"Another of Salazar's heirs popped up huh? He'd cry in shame if he saw what his bloodline has descended into." Rowena sighed. "The Chamber's purpose was twofold. The first was to test his descendants. Salazar made up that false story that he wanted the school cleansed of the unworthy to see if his heirs would question it or simply accept what the unthinking mass was telling them. So far every Heir has been a disappointment."

"I imagine his own blood lacking the cunning to think for themselves would not sit well with him." Harry commented.

"The true disappointment is that the basilisk inside the Chamber would have told them the truth if any of them actually had the brains to ask it why Salazar actually built the Chamber." Rowena gave a humorless chuckle at the fact her friend's family had degenerated to that level. "Anyway, the second purpose of the Chamber is a reliquary for Nod."

"I can't imagine the Inner Circle allowed any of our relics to leave the safety of Cairo or Sarajevo." Harry exclaimed. The relics of the time of Nod's foundation were considered of paramount value to the Brotherhood.

"They're not the real relics, of course. Some are copies, some are outright forgeries, but they all look authentic, and every test you can perform on them will say they are exactly what they appear to be. Over the span of fifty years, I have created a history for the Brotherhood of Nod going back nearly ten thousand years. Do you have any idea how hard it was to write a legible text in pre-Summerian cuneiform, among other things?" Rowena explained with pride in her voice.

"He who controls the past, commands the future. You continue to amaze me with your brilliance, Lady Ravenclaw. Allowing samples of your work to fall in the hands of our enemies at the appropriate moments will greatly help increase the mystery of the Brotherhood." Harry gave her a short bow, making the woman blush deeply.

"That was my plan as well. In the Chamber, simply tell the statue of Salazar that you are 'A brother seeking the secrets of the past,' and the basilisk will emerge and lead you to the reliquary. It will also obey you even above this heir active in the school right now, especially if you tell it that you are an agent of the Inner Circle." Rowena informed him and told him where he could find some of the entrances leading into the Chamber.

* * *

It was a week before Harry could find the time to explore the Chamber of Secrets and he was amazed to see Rowena's reliquary. Tablets, statues, pieces of walls, pots, scrolls, books, engravings, everything you'd expect to find from places all across the world over the span of millennia of civilization could be found here.

"Rowena, restraint is not always a bad thing." Harry smiled softly as he walked back out of the hidden reliquary, following the basilisk back to the main chamber.

It was there that the two surprised a little red-headed girl that was hissing angrily at the statue of Salazar.

"So, you are the infamous Heir of Slytherin. I admit, I expected someone more impressive." Harry was in his adult form, which made it easier to convince the basilisk that he was an agent of the Inner Circle.

"Who the hell are you?" The girl's voice was that of a man, which caused Kane to raise an eyebrow and throw a quick glance at the small leather-bound book the girl was clutching in her hand.

"Amir al-Quayym. And you seem to be a Horcrux possessing a little girl. Lord Voldemort, I presume?" Kane smirked as the girl recoiled back as if struck.

"How do you know about Horcruxes?" She demanded angrily. "And why does the basilisk not kill you? I told it to kill anyone that comes here."

"Salazar's orders supercede yours, I'm afraid. You really should have checked on that before you started bossing it around. As for Horcruxes, you're not the first person I've met dumb enough to make one." Kane gave her a smug grin.

"Dumb enough? Horcruxes are the key to immortality itself." She shouted back, only for Kane to laugh out loud at that.

"Then where is everyone else that's made one?" Kane's words froze the girl in place. "Did you ever ask yourself that or were you blinded by the promise of immortality to care?"

"They got careless and let theirs be destroyed. Why should I care about idiots and weaklings?" She scoffed and raised her wand at him.

"How typical. You're the Dark Lord that knew better. The one that wouldn't repeat the mistake of the ones that came before him, who would succeed where they failed. Do you have any idea how many dark wizards have said the same before you?" Kane snapped angrily. "So confident in your superiority and arrogance that you are incapable of even the tiniest shred of common sense."

"What are you blathering on about? You're lucky I want you to tell me what you know about Horcruxes before I kill you." Voldemored snapped back, but from the look in Kane's eyes, the soul fragment knew that the man knew that at this time, it took all of his power just to keep control of the girl. Casting any spells was impossible, which was why he needed the basilisk to kill his victims.

"I'll tell you. It all basically comes down to Ovidian's laws of enchantment. If you had done any real research in enchantment you would have found at least a mention of them, but I'm not surprised you're unaware. They are a bit obscure and only really important in more delicate enchanting work. The third law is particularly relevant here. It states that the duration of an enchantment equals the sum of the magical retaining properties of the materials divided by the complexity of the enchantment. With this in play, how long do you think a Horcrux can last before the enchantment dissipates?" Kane spoke to the increasingly horrified girl. "And why would it need a piece of a soul to complete?"

"Fuel. The whole thing is a nothing but a big trap for dark wizards." Voldemort staggered back and actually collapsed to the ground.

"Exactly. An elegant trap to convince the people vile enough to sunder their very soul into committing the very act that ensures their damnation. Once even a single piece of the soul is drained dry and dies, the rest will follow immediately. And you fell for it without even a shred of hesitation. For the Heir of Slytherin you show a surprising lack of cunning and forethought." The girl raised her head only to stare at the shining ruby tip of Kane's wand. "May your last thoughts before you die be of how utterly you've failed."

A single stunner caused the girl to collapse and Kane took the book from her now slack grip.

"Bite that and then return to your lair. I will come again in time." Kane threw the book at the basilisk that quickly obeyed, causing an unholy shriek and a spurt of ink to emit from the book before it fell silent and dead. While he could have simply kept the book and waited for it to drain the soul piece dry and destroy itself, it would have taken several decades to do so, and considering how the diary worked, he determined that Voldemort had actually made more than one, which made him laugh as he moved to leave the Chamber.

"Of all the paths you could have taken towards immortality, you certainly picked the worst one my nearly dead enemy. How disappointing." Kane shrugged as he levitated the girl outside the Chamber. It wouldn't do to have a student missing after all. Behind him, the basilisk washed its mouth clear of ink and returned to its lair, glad that once more it had removed a stain on its master's legacy.


	7. Chapter 7

****Hello everyone, it seems my muse has been learning necromancy in her spare time as she managed to revive my interest for writing, which had rapidly dwindled over the past months, so I decided to get something out while the feeling persisted. So, here's another chapter of this little story, moving things forward a bit.  
****

 **Chapter 7**

"An interesting design, Dr. Lawson." Kane commented as he and a select crowd of Nod's highest echelons observed the actions of their very first Tiberium harvester. The vehicle was the size and shape of a tanker truck, and in the front it had two arms that broke down the crystals and pushed it in the ground level grinder that gathered up and further crushed the crystals into Tiberium dust that was then fed into the back of the harvester.

"It's not very elegant, but it's effective. It can gather a full load of Tiberium in one hour, provided there's enough crystal to harvest. The vehicle is unfortunately rather expensive to build and maintain, as it requires a lot of Tiberite and Tiberite paint to build it and keep it operational." Lawson replied.

"How many of these do we have?" Kane turned towards Shen.

"Including this one, three, with six more being constructed by the end of the month. After that I expect to build six to eight per month until we reach our quota of one hundred operational harvesters and twenty spares to keep operations at maximum yield for the amount of Tiberium fields we have seeded." Shen reported.

"Excellent. And how are we doing with the Tiberium refinery project?" Lawson gave a small sigh at that question.

"We still have some trouble on that part, sir. The current methods we've developed are far too wasteful. Our best method so far yields only thirty percent useful material from the input Tiberium, and the waste itself is rather toxic. It does work rather well as fertilizer for the Tiberium fields however. We are working as hard as we can and we'll have a usable method within the timeframe you set. On the other hand, we are rather ahead in the study of the methods to actually use the refined Tiberium."

"Do share. I could use more good news." Kane was not pleased by the continued delays, but he knew that the complexity of the task made them unavoidable.

"We've developed a combination of layered injection molding and smelting that will in essence allow us to construct brand new vehicle and equipment parts in the field. Combined with automated robotic assembly, we can fabricate everything our bases will need as long as we supply them with refined and raw Tiberium. There's still lots of details to work out, but my team is confident we can construct a workable system within the year." Lawson informed him.

"Good work. Walk with me, doctor. I wanted to discuss one more thing with you before I left." Kane gestured towards the door, and soon enough, he and Lawson were walking alone through the corridors of the underground base.

"I want you to gather a small team for a more long-term project. I want total secrecy and absolute obedience. You, me and the team are the only ones to know about it for now." Kane began.

"Of course sir. What is the project?" Lawson asked curiously.

"Space travel." Kane's words stopped the woman in place for a second.

"Sir?" Miranda was confused. Why would Kane want to work on that particular topic? And why now?

"Space plays a big part in my grand plan, Dr. Lawson. The work of your team will be mostly theoretical for now. I want them to think on everything relating to space travel. How can we build ships, what will these ships need to travel safely into space, and so on. Make sure you have both magical and non-magical members in the team. Combining their ideas with our technosorcery might lead to some major breakthroughs." Kane informed her.

"So, that's your plan. You want the Brotherhood to spread through the stars. But if that's your intention, why do we need to start a war on this planet? We can just leave and our enemies will never know we even existed." Lawson was a little confused. It seemed she was still missing a lot of pieces from the puzzle.

"The war is necessary to unite this planet. Once we emerge into the light, the world will divide to those who support us, and those that oppose us. And yes, in the eyes of the world we might even lose the war, but that is irrelevant when victory was never our goal." Kane's words filled in many holes in her perception of his vision, and once more she was left in awe of the man's cunning, intelligence and foresight.

"There is much more going on than I'm telling you doctor, but trust in my vision and everything will work out." Kane gave her a soft smile.

"Your thoughts are my actions, Prophet." Lawson bowed her head and walked away to get this latest project going.

* * *

Things however did not continue to go as well for Kane and the Brotherhood of Nod. Just days before the start of the new school year at Hogwarts, the Inner Circle sent him an urgent request for a meeting.

"We have trouble." Danzo began the moment the group gathered, and he activated the screen embedded in the large table they sat around.

"This is primary network hub four." Danzo pointed out a large underground installation located on the north of France shaped like an eight-pointed star with long spokes extending out of the main facility in order to compensate for the limitations of the portal system. "Our primary hubs connect the smaller local networks together and provide rapid mass transit throughout our portal network. Two hours ago, it came under attack by a full battalion of goblin warriors using two tunnels they had dug in secret."

"Beastly scum. They dared to attack us?" Umbridge spat. The viciousness and depravity of goblinkind was well known to them, considering how much leeway the British Ministry was forced to give the beasts thanks to the many rebellions. The fact the wizards were forced to tolerate and furthermore allow a banking monopoly to a race that considered humans a delicacy did not sit well with Nod. While they weren't xenophobic, and there were indeed many non-human members amongst them, goblins were one of the races that was considered hostile, primarily because the beasts considered all other races as either enemies to be conquered, food or both.

"Yes. They must have been planning this strike for years, since we have sensors and detection wards to sense such an intrusion to our hubs. Fortunately for us, due to our recent operations I've bolstered the garrisons at such key locations, plus a squad of commandos were in transit at the hub at the time, escorting a shipment of two hundred laser rifles, which they decided to distribute among the defenders. This, along with their aid and the effort of the hub garrison led to a full rout of the goblin scum, while we've suffered only eighty-three casualties. The remains have been shipped to Dr. Lawson for her project Regenesis as all members of the Militant Arm have agreed to their participation in the project."

"Keep me posted on the results, Dr. Lawson." Kane gave the scientist a quick look. Their cybernetics project could provide them with a massive advantage in the coming war. "As for the goblins, they have declared war on us, and we will respond in kind. Order a full mobilization of the Militant Arm. First secure any vulnerable installations, but I intend to go to war against these beasts within the year at the latest. We all know what they do to humans and other beings they can get their hands on, and I say we've tolerated them for far too long already. Tell the Brotherhood soldiers, no mercy, no quarter. We will not stop while even a single goblin still draws breath."

"They'll be pleased to hear that, Prophet." Danzo smiled evilly. "While you're here, there's one more thing I wanted to talk about. Over the past year we've had increasing trouble with the drug lords in South and Central America. A number of them have been taking larger cuts than agreed, and often sent us product that was far inferior than expected. Our protests so far have been ignored."

"How many drug lords are causing us trouble?" Kane asked coldly. The criminal enterprises were sadly far too necessary at this time to be allowed to fall under the control of others especially when one took Kane's future plans into account.

"Five in South America, seven in Central America. These are their files." Danzo showed Kane the faces and information on the twelve people that had made the mistake of angering the Brotherhood of Nod one time too many.

"We have men in place to replace them in their organizations?" Kane asked, getting a quick nod from Danzo. "Send your Shadows after these. Tell them to kill their targets where they feel the safest. No one is beyond our reach." Kane marked ten of the targets, leaving the leaders of this little rebellion aside.

"As for these two, send a commando after the Columbian, as for the Mexican, send Raveshaw after him." The Inner Circle gave Kane a startled look at that.

"Are you sure you want to send Gideon?" Danzo asked, thinking about his most devoted and most brutal commando. His sadistic tendencies were well known as was his propensity to rape and kill, not often in that order anything female in the target area, regardless of age.

"I think it will send a proper message to the rest of the scum in the area." Kane replied in a frigid tone.

"It will be done, Prophet." Danzo nodded, while sending a quick prayer for the souls of the man's three underage daughters. Danzo would do anything to advance the cause of Nod, but that didn't mean he didn't find some things distasteful.

"Anything else I need to be informed of?" Kane asked his advisors.

"One minor thing that might be of interest. Recently, Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban. The Minister has launched a massive manhunt, along with the order to place Dementors around Hogwarts. I advised against this, but he seemed unusually determined. It is believed that Black intends to attack Hogwarts and kill Harry Potter." Umbridge told him.

"The Dementors will be an inconvenience, especially considering our own activities in and around the school, but not insurmountable. As for Black, if he thinks he can best my apprentice, he is welcome to try." Kane laughed. Only the Inner Circle and a few Nod members knew Harry Potter was in anyway connected to Nod, and only the Inner Circle and Hermione knew that Kane was teaching Harry. Of course, the truth was known only to Kane and well hidden with the Fidelius.

"I will monitor the situation and inform you of any future developments, Prophet." Umbridge added, after which, the meeting was called to a close, and everyone dispersed.

* * *

Deep underneath the First Temple, a somewhat short man sat cross-legged before an icon of Nod's sigil, softly murmuring to himself in the empty room. It wasn't long however that a soft rhythmic clacking noise began to approach him, a sound that he knew well, considering how closely the man worked with Danzo over the years. The man didn't react until the noise stopped. It was only then he too fell silent for a moment before he spoke.

"How may I serve the Brotherhood, General Shimura?" The man's voice was raspy, but he spoke with a soft tone.

"The Prophet himself has chosen you for a mission, Gideon. A man has been named as an enemy of Nod." Danzo replied shortly.

"Then that man, and all who would support him will die." Gideon Raveshaw stood up and turned to face Danzo. Considering he was nearly a head shorter than Danzo, one could be forgiven for dismissing the man as a threat, but that was a mistake that many who made it paid for with their lives. Overall, the man was rather unremarkable, save for the large and nasty scar that ran from just under the right side of his jaw up to his hairline, narrowly missing his right eye.

A former lieutenant of the South African Army, Raveshaw was dishonorably discharged after the accusations of rape levied against him exceeded even the influence his talent and connections provided could erase. Nod was quick to sweep in and give the man a new purpose in life, and for all his deplorable activities outside the Brotherhood, it seemed the teachings of Nod awoke something in the man. With zeal few could match, and a talent for military tactics and strategy that was practically inhuman, he had a nearly meteoric rise through the ranks until he ended in the commando program, where he literally wrote the book Nod used for infiltration and sabotage tactics. When Kane emerged in the open, his faith in Nod seemed to triple, and in fact, the Confessors would often invite him to speak to the new recruits about his own view on the teachings of Nod and the words of the Prophet. Those who attended those lectures were considered amongst the most faithful of all members.

The biggest paradox however was that in the nearly three decades of service in the Brotherhood of Nod, not a single accusation of rape has ever been levied against him by a sister, and in fact he was remarkably respectful to the women in Nod considering the man was a huge misogynist and a serial rapist. Another issue was the fact that unlike those members that were born inside the Brotherhood, Raveshaw was known in the outside world, and considering what he did to his targets and those around them, Nod had no choice but to craft the illusion that he was actually a mercenary for hire in order to keep the various law enforcement agencies across the world from digging too deep into the man's history and actions.

"Your mission briefing. Kane expects to hear of your success within a month at most." Danzo handed him a folder with the relevant information about his target.

"I will not disappoint the Prophet." Raveshaw took the folder and walked out of the room.

Ten minutes later, Danzo was in his office, and once he sat down, he reached for the telephone sitting on his desk and dialed a number from memory. It was a few moments later that a groggy female voice was heard from the phone.

"Whoever this is, you better have a good reason for waking me up in the middle of the night." The woman sounded rather irritated about having her sleep interrupted.

"Have I ever bothered you without a good reason, granddaughter?" Danzo replied, a slight note of amusement coloring his tone.

"Sorry grandfather. You have a mission for me?" The woman managed to wake herself up very quickly when she recognized who she was speaking to.

"Yes, straight from the Prophet. You are to leave for primary hub eight as soon as possible. You will be briefed there." Danzo informed her.

"I hate South America. Can't you send Mendoza or Gideon? Or some Shadows?" The woman complained.

"You're the only commando I have available at this time, and the Shadow teams have other assignments. I swear your mother was never this difficult." Danzo sighed. His granddaughter was certainly a handful, but she was also one of the best he had.

"The boss won't be happy I had to leave so suddenly, you know." The woman reminded him.

"If O-Ren Ishii has any grievances she is welcome to bring them to me, and I will give them the consideration they are due." Danzo replied curtly, earning a snort of laughter from the other side. Despite the woman's talents as the leader of the Yakuza, it was not a secret that the only reason she was even alive after her conquest of the Japanese underworld was the fact that Danzo stood behind her, and the man cast a large shadow in Japan.

"Alright, grandfather. The sooner I get this done, the sooner I get back, yes?" The woman finally gave him a resigned sigh.

"Yes. Goodnight, Sakura." Danzo replied and put down the phone with a sigh. The girl certainly loved to annoy him. Fortunately for her, she really was as good as she thought she was.

* * *

As the weeks passed, there was little excitement in Hogwarts or the various bases of the Brotherhood of Nod, but that didn't mean that their actions didn't cause ripples elsewhere.

In the DEA headquarters, senior agent Jack Cooper was looking over the latest reports that he had gotten from the CIA about the drug trade outside of the US borders.

"Twelve drug lords dead in a little over a month? Someone was cleaning house it seems." Cooper commented to his counterpart, the unfortunately named CIA agent John Smith.

"On the surface, perhaps. But the connections between the victims make no sense. Their organizations were making a solid profit, in many cases their closest allies were left untouched, and the way these hits were pulled off is way above what the cartels usually do. The people who pulled this off are professionals. Three of them were found dead in rooms without windows locked from the inside. The only anomaly in the whole mess is this guy." Smith pointed tapped the file which had the picture of a middle-aged Mexican man clipped to it.

"What about it?" Cooper opened the file and began to look through the photos taken from the investigation, only to pale quickly and bend over to retch in his waste basket.

"Someone hired Gideon Raveshaw on his ass. I believe you've heard of the man." Smith replied once Cooper recovered.

"I wish I hadn't. After what he pulled in Chicago and Houston, I've been hoping to nail his ass." Cooper growled. The thought that such animals existed in the world filled him with rage.

"You and most law enforcement agencies in the world. The man's a ghost though. In the thirty years since he left the South African Army, no one's even gotten close to him." Smith sighed. The CIA had been hunting the man for years, but all it had gotten them was dead agents.

"The fucker will slip up sooner or later. What about the aftermath of all these hits?" Cooper decided to change the subject before he got too angry and needed to go and vent in the firing range.

"That's the strangest part. There wasn't any. A new leader rose from within the organizations within days and took over operations with minimal fuss." Smith explained.

"That doesn't make sense. Even the better organized cartels would tear themselves apart as lieutenants fought for control." Cooper commented as he looked over the files again.

"Yeah. My team believes there's a bigger organization in play here. Perhaps our theories about a super crime syndicate aren't as farfetched as we believed." Smith suggested.

"There's been no evidence of any form of higher cooperation. We've investigated the possibility several times so far." Cooper pointed out.

"You're right, but still, there's been a lot of inconsistencies over the years as well. I'm not saying there's a larger picture here, but that doesn't mean that there's isn't one as well." Smith replied evenly.

"I hope you're wrong, because if you are, we're in deep shit." Cooper added before the two men returned to their work.


	8. Chapter 8

**To my surprise, this chapter came out rather quickly and smoothly. Hope you will like it. Lots more world building, teasing hints and some action to whet your appetites. For those reading my other fics, new content is in the works, and will be published soon.**

 **Chapter 8**

Despite all the excitement of the summer, Kane found his trip on the Hogwarts Express rather relaxing, allowing him to gather his thoughts. He had made the first major step in his plans, and soon the goblins will reap what they had sown for centuries, and what should have been done long ago would be finally done. Of course, if it was that easy to kill the goblins, wizards would have done it ages ago. What kept the beasts safe was their ability to imbue metals with magic, even though they had very limited ability to cast spells unlike humans. Still, this talent enabled them to arm their warriors with armor that resisted nearly all forms of magic as well as most conventional weapons, while their blades were enchanted with spells to cut through shields and protections. The Killing Curse was in fact invented in response to one of the goblin rebellions, as a spell that could kill the goblins despite their armor. In response to this, goblins began using shields as a quick and simple way to block a single curse to allow them to close in for the kill. The goblin rebellions were a very interesting topic, and perhaps the greatest driving force for invention in the history of the magical world, and now it seemed, the time had come to pit the cold intellect of the Brotherhood of Nod against the brutal cunning of the Goblin Nation. It would be a good test and training experience for the Militant Arm, which would be needed in what came ahead.

For all their cunning though, Kane had to smirk inwardly when he thought about the surprises he and his Science Ministry had cooked up for the upcoming war. The laser rifles had already proved their value, as the goblins couldn't even conceive something like that even existed, being just as limited in the use of technology as wizards, and they looked down on muggles even more than the snobbiest pureblood. Tests on prisoners taken during the raid showed the Tesla cannon was even more effective, the high energy electrical bolt reacted with the goblin armor in a very amusing way, creating an extremely powerful but short-lived magnetic field that drew anything metallic to it with great force while at the same time heating up the metal so rapidly the goblin inside was flash cooked, and the excess energy had a tendency to arc off towards anything made of metal around the target. All in all, it would be a devastating weapon against groups of goblins, he just wished the weapon wasn't so complex and expensive to make.

But, as powerful their new weapons were, they had too few to wage a proper war, and this is where the greatest discovery of Nod technosorcery to date came into play. Kane's conversion circuit not only allowed technology to work with magic, it also allowed magic to work with technology. Namely, the ability to augment the power requirements on Nod's mages with the massive Tiberium fueled reactors of their bases. Their first application of this method was setting up a factory that processed bullets by engraving shield and armor piercing hexes in runic forms on the copper jacket, then using a converter to charge the spell directly from the generators, allowing them to produce these rounds by the thousands while sparing their mages the monumental effort this would otherwise require.

Ordinarily, bullets would be useless against the heavily enchanted and thick goblin armor, but these new bullets more than equaled the playing field. As a bonus effect, this discovery would be just as effective if not more against wizards. A wizard that knew he might be going against guns would easily be able to protect himself even against automatic fire long enough to stop his attacker or escape if attacked from multiple fronts, and while the spells needed for that were difficult, they weren't something any half-way competent O.W.L. graduate couldn't do, but they had to know to cast them beforehand, as they were somewhat draining to maintain for long, so surprise would be the best way to attack wizards.

It was then his thoughts were interrupted by the train stopping and the light going out. A quick glance at his watch told him that they were still over thirty minutes away from Hogwarts, and even if they had arrived, they wouldn't have stopped the train so suddenly. He lit his wand quickly and opened the door. A quick look up and down the aisle showed him he wasn't the only one surprised and curious about their sudden stop. It was then he felt the sudden chill and heard the ominous hissing rattle coming from the wagon door. A rapid glance to the side showed him the sinister cloaked form of a Dementor climb in, causing everyone to retreat in their compartments, but for Kane, the creature's presence began to draw out memories, memories of a different age, of friends made and lost, and deeds done in the name of his Great Plan and the formation of the Brotherhood of Nod. Needless to say, few of these memories were pleasant, and the creature seemed drawn to the man with so much pain and misery it practically erupted out of him.

"Expecto Patronum." Kane hissed the incantation and a large silvery scorpion shot out of his wand, snapping its pincers at the creature angrily. While the Dementor was shocked by the spell and busy warding off its pincers, the scorpion's stinger shot forward and stabbed deeply in the Dementor's chest, drawing out a sinister keening wail from the thing before it managed to flee. Kane knew the creature wasn't dead, merely injured. The only thing that actually managed to kill the beasts was Tiberium which forced the things to crystallize as it fed on their strange flesh and magic.

Fortunately for him, no one actually saw him cast a Patronus, which allowed him to return to his compartment in order to calm himself for the rest of the trip.

"It should have ended differently, brother. You could have stood by my side until the end, but you chose to act against me. I had no choice, Seth." A single tear rolled from his eye as his calm façade returned.

* * *

"Alright everyone, we have some big news to discuss. This mostly concerns the seventh years among us, but the others should pay attention as well." Jack Bradshaw, now in his seventh year was the unofficial leader of the Nod members, began their first meeting of the year a few days after term started. "Kane has declared war on the goblins. The Militant Arm is mobilizing in force, and while I have no details on when or where we'll attack it's expected to be sooner than later."

"About time. We've put up with the things for far too long as it is." Lisa Turpin growled. Considering her cousin was one of the casualties of network hub four, her anger was quite understandable.

"Our task here will be support those who have family and friends fighting. We have advantages, but the goblins are vicious things. There will be casualties." Jack reminded them.

"Brotherhood, Unity, Strength." Harry spoke up, drawing smiles and supportive nods from the group.

"Exactly Potter. As long as we stand together, the goblins don't stand a chance." Jack smiled as well and moved the meeting to other less serious topics.

"So, what have you been up to all summer?" Hermione asked once they were alone except for Luna, but the blond as usual was content to sit next to Harry with her arms wrapped around his and ignored their conversation.

"Traveled a bit, done some things for my teacher, and also finally met the Inner Circle." Harry smiled at his friend. There was so much potential in the girl he simply had to guide her himself.

"You met Miranda Lawson? In person?" Hermione exclaimed in shock.

"And the others as well. I take it you're a fan of Dr. Lawson?" Harry laughed as the girl nodded so quickly he was amazed her head didn't fall off.

"I'd do anything to meet with her. Anything." Hermione said firmly.

"Anything huh? Well, I can hardly refuse such a generous offer." Harry gave her a smirk that drew a shocked 'eep' from the girl when she finally realized her excitement on possibly meeting her idol ran ahead of her common sense.

"Harry, I didn't mean…" She began only for him to put a finger on her lips, silencing her.

"You said anything, Hermione. No going back." Harry gave her a chiding look. "Now, this is what I want you to do. You're going to stand up in front of us, turn towards Luna, and ask her to introduce her to her mother's favorite student."

"You prat. I was starting to have a panic attack." She slapped him on the shoulder, but not too hard.

"You can come over for Christmas. Mirrie will be there too." Luna spoke up, surprising the pair a bit.

"You sure I won't be any trouble?" Hermione asked, her polite nature warring with her inner fangirl in a rabid wrestling match.

"It's just me, dad and Mirrie. She won't mind. She always says I need more friends." Luna replied and put her head on Harry's shoulder and closed her eyes.

"Well, now all you need is to tell your parents about your Christmas plans." Harry commented and then blinked at the sudden dust cloud that formed in a line towards the door. "I think she might be a little excited."

* * *

The days passed on with little excitement until Halloween when the school was surprised with the news that Sirius Black had attempted to force entry into Gryffindor tower of all places.

"I still can't believe Black managed to get that far inside Hogwarts of all places. School or not, this place is very well protected." Hermione commented as soon as they managed to get some privacy a few days after the attack.

"The question isn't how he got that far inside, it's why he wanted to get into Gryffindor tower. Everyone says he's here after me. A man that was clever enough to escape from Azkaban wouldn't miss the fact I am a Ravenclaw." Harry pointed out.

"You're right. So why try to get into Gryffindor?" Hermione frowned.

"It seems there's more to this whole story then we know. I feel it's imperative that we get our hands on Black alive. There's a lot I want to talk to him about." Harry replied. Umbridge had provided him with every shred of info on the man, but it seems there was a lot they didn't know about the man too. "But it's not that important right now. What I'm looking forward is our campaign against the goblins."

"You know when the first attacks will take place?" Hermione asked curiously. Details on the operation were rather scarce. All she could learn was that troops and supplies were moved heavily towards areas where large goblin populations were known or suspected to be.

"Of course. The tenth of January. We'll hit four of their cities we know of. There's around two million goblins living in those. Kane felt that a grand opening move will send a strong message to the creatures." Harry grinned evilly.

"That's their most holy of days. Even Gringotts is closed on that day, and they never close otherwise." Hermione gasped in surprise.

"They have shown no respect to the lives and culture of all other races on Earth. Why should we do otherwise?" Harry shrugged.

"True. Well, I certainly am looking forward to hearing how the attack will go." Hermione added.

She wasn't the only one, as the planned date crept ever closer, the anticipation in not just the Militant Arm but all branches of the Brotherhood grew thick enough to cut.

* * *

Goblin cities were built deep underground in mostly natural caves which were excavated further as needed. The bulk of the population lived on the floor and walls in houses either carved from the cave rock or built from blocks of stone, while the richest and most powerful goblins lived in houses built in natural or artificially grown stalactites on the roofs of the caves. The closer one lived to the ceiling, the richer one was. Now, four of those cities were going to be attacked, and as much of the population slaughtered by beings they considered so far beneath them they might as well have been dirt.

The chosen targets were located in Egypt, Germany, France and England as they were some of the largest known goblin cities in the world. Commando teams had moved carefully through the tunnels days before and had cleared a route and staging areas near the targets, and soldiers had been trickling in ever since. By the time of the attack, teams were in place to ensure all routes in and out of the cities were secure so that no goblins could escape the impending slaughter or call for help.

A fact that helped them greatly was the fact that for the holiday, goblins would gather in the city's plazas to celebrate the occasion. Nod didn't know exactly what they celebrated, only that it was important to the beasts enough to have nearly every goblin in the cities to gather in the city's plazas where it seemed special structures were built specifically for use on this particular day.

"Man, if they only knew what was coming." One Militant snickered to himself as he and his team set up a heavy machinegun, one of three nests overlooking one of the two dozen plazas scattered across the city. The other plazas were similarly besieged.

"Quiet. We can't let them know we're here until Ol' Bessy starts singing." His squad CO hissed at him as he tapped the Yugoslavian made NSV heavy machinegun his team was manning. It was certainly beneficial for Nod to have such heavy presence in such a fractured and corrupt country. The war in Bosnia that was currently ravaging the region made it even easier to gather men and equipment. The nest was covered by a special camo tent that made them practically invisible in the gloom of the cave. Goblins had much better night vision than humans, but they could not see in pitch dark, since they were not originally a subterranean species, which meant there was plenty of lighting in the city. Even so, the soldiers were equipped with night vision gear to ensure optimal combat efficiency.

"This is Colonel Zelenkov to all teams. Fire at will." The voice of the operation CO came from the radio and the team grinned evilly behind their masked helmets as the gunner cocked the gun and aimed down into the crowd of goblins. A heartbeat later, a hailstorm of metal descended on the unsuspecting horde with a roaring echo that covered the entire cave in a deafening cacophony, mixed with the screams of the dying goblins beneath them.

With magical enhancement, the gun was reinforced, had near instant cooling, minimal recoil and each ammo box had ten thousand rounds among other enhancements. Considering the gun fired 12.7x108mm cartridges at over seven hundred rounds per minute, its use against mostly unarmored goblins was rather brutal.

While that was happening, Militant squads armed with rifles rushed across the streets, slowly and methodically clearing the buildings scattered across the city.

Of course, the goblins rallied quickly, with the already armored warriors rushing out to meet the attackers head on, while the rest moved quickly towards the armories scattered across the city.

* * *

"Persistent vermin, aren't they?" Colonel Zelenkov, a tall and dour-faced Russian man commented as he raised the Tesla cannon he was given for the operation at the squad of screaming goblins rushing his position. "Let's teach them a lesson. Commencing shock therapy."

The bolt of electricity lit the whole block with actinic light as it hit the warrior in the middle of the front line and arced from him to hit most of the remaining twenty as the sudden induced magnetic field smashed them together. The pungent stink of burning goblin wafted out seconds later, with only a few survivors that stood at the edge of the effect trying to weakly get back on their feet before several troopers gunned them down.

Despite the benefit of the initial surprise, Nod did suffer casualties, since even with the advantage of technology, they were massively outnumbered and were facing urban warfare with minimal intel since goblin cities were more or less unexplored by other races. Ambushes by goblins armed with crossbows, improvised traps or simply warriors jumping out of windows at Militant squads took a toll on the Brotherhood forces, but despite these setbacks, the goblins were losing badly. Too many had been gunned down in the initial attack, and the panic and shock that followed didn't help them much. Rushing the machinegun nests proved futile, and trying to escape to warn others about the attack only led them into the ambush sites Nod had prepared beforehand. As more and more sections of the cities were being cleared, the survivors were faced with increasing number of enemies from all sides, and over ten hours later, the Brotherhood were simply mopping up the few survivors left and had begun to take everything not nailed down before the engineers came and stripped the town to the bare bones.

In France, Colonel Zelenkov was standing in the central plaza which was quickly transformed in their operations center, coordinating the efforts of his men now that the fighting was more or less over. As a bonus for the smoothly organized attack, Zelenkov informed his soldiers that they could claim a single trophy from the city, as long as they could carry the item without impeding their mobility.

* * *

"Tell the engineers they are free to move in with the supplies. Contact central command and inform them that they can begin moving in reinforcements for the next stage. Fortify all exits from the city and deploy the sensor arrays. If any counterattack is launched by the scum, I want to be ready for them." Zelenkov ordered his aide, who was rapidly writing down the man's instructions.

"Excuse me Colonel? We were told to clear all prisoners with you." Zelenkov turned to see a young man with slicked back hair and short beard approach him, dragging a tightly bound and gagged goblin. His discrete markings denoted him as a sergeant. Nod rank markings were designed to ensure that officers weren't easily identified from a distance.

"What do you have there sergeant? Another goblin noble? We have a whole truck full of them." Zelenkov grinned.

"No sir. This is the city's forgemaster." This froze the smile in face as his mind thought about what the man said.

"You're sure?" Zelenkov asked firmly.

"I graduated with an O in History of Magic from the Academia de Brujeria of Tenochtitlan and a mastery on human-goblin history sir. I knew where to find him on this day, the sigils on his clothes, he tried to slit his throat when we hit his position and the fact other goblins tried to kill him five times while we captured him and transported him tell me that he's the real thing." The sergeant replied calmly.

"Good work, son. What's your name?" Zelenkov grinned widely. A forgemaster knew all the secrets of goblin metallurgy. He knew for a fact that Lawson would be very grateful to him for such a gift.

"Cesar Vega, sir." The sergeant identified himself.

"Your squad is here?" At Vega's nod, Zelenkov continued as he leaned down to write something on a piece of paper. "I want you to personally escort this creature to Temple Prime. It will be your responsibility that you hand him over to the Science Ministry alive and healthy. Is that understood, Lieutenant?"

"Yes sir." Vega was rather surprised by the sudden promotion, but took the orders and their prisoner and rushed out.

"Nice kid. He'll go far. Now, take a message. To Dr. Miranda Lawson…" Zelenkov turned to his aide with a grin. He was far from the only man that was after the woman rightfully considered 'sex on legs', and he wasn't above using any trick in the book to get what he wanted. And a gift of a goblin forgemaster would certainly get him at least a night with the usually aloof woman.


	9. Chapter 9

**Another chapter done, and another step closer to Kane's master plan. I hope I've managed to give enough teasers to keep you all hungry for more.**

 **Chapter 9**

"Could you repeat that? Because I believe I heard you say humans attacked and destroyed four of our cities." King Gringott XXII snarled angrily at the cowering goblin in front of him.

"It's true, your Majesty. Our scouts were attacked when they went to investigate the loss of contact. Many of them were killed to identify who was attacking them. It was humans wearing this symbol." The goblin said in a rush and pulled out a piece of paper. On it the chamfered curved scorpion tail of Nod was drawn.

"This should mean something to me? Humans are all alike. Assemble some troops and clear them out of our cities." The king shrugged as he tossed away the paper.

"Your Majesty, to take four of our cities at once would require significant manpower. Combined, those cities held nearly six million goblins, and nearly a million were trained warriors. The number of wizards it would take to conquer those cities is huge. We'd notice a mobilization on that scale in the wizard communities." One of the generals standing in the room commented.

"Begging your pardon general, but none of the scouts were killed by magic." The messenger cut in, making them all look at him in confusion. "They used muggle weapons."

"Preposterous. Muggle weapons can't damage our armor. We've been testing them every decade. Their skill with metal is laughable." The king's forgemaster scoffed.

"Explain this then, forgemaster." The scout pulled a breastplate from a bottomless pouch on his belt, which had three holes in it. The forgemaster took it quickly, and as he ran his hands over the metal and looked over the holes, his face grew pale and clammy.

"The hole was made by a small piece of metal enchanted with a human armor-piercing hex, and the enchantments punched through by a shield breaker curse, also placed on the same object. Without the magic, the armor is no better than steel plate, which the armor-piercer can cut through easily. This changes everything your Majesty. Our armors are useless against this, no more than useless, they've become a burden to our warriors." The old goblin collapsed in his chair, the shock too much for him.

"I'm no enchanter, but putting those spells on something can't be easy. They probably have very few of those." The general cut in the sudden gloom in the room, causing the forgemaster to perk up a bit.

"Yes. Yes, it's difficult, and human magic is inferior in enchanting metal too. A wizard can't possibly make more than a dozen of these infernal things a day. And they probably used a lot of their supply in the attack on our cities." The forgemaster exclaimed.

"Then our course is clear. Attack them now before they can regroup and re-supply. Your Majesty, I can have a million goblins armed and ready to go within a week, and one more each week after that until we hit full mobilization at twelve million." The general turned to his ruler.

"That's nearly a third of our remaining population. And do you have any idea how much such a mobilization is going to cost? Especially if you intend to pull millions of productive goblins out of the workforce." The head of the banking clans pointed out.

"You coin-counting coward. We're under attack by fucking humans and you're worried about cost? Where's your warrior pride, or did you sell it for a quick galleon?" The general snarled angrily, causing the banker to jump up in outrage and draw a dagger.

"Enough. While we squabble here, the true enemy is out there, mocking us by his occupation of our cities. While I admire your zeal General Bardaz, Director Ragnok is right too. Freeing our cities will be pointless if we beggar ourselves to do it. You will mobilize two million for now, prepare them and move them into position to attack. Can you do this in a month?" Bardaz nodded with an eager grin. "Can we afford that, Director?"

"Yes your Majesty, though I advise that this conflict is settled as quickly as possible." Ragnok gave his king a nod while he shot Bardaz a scowl.

"I'll finish them off nice and quick, you don't need to worry about that. But their new weapons pose a threat. How can we protect ourselves?" Bardaz turned to the forgemaster.

"We'd have to strengthen the enchantments, make them compensate for these attacks. It can't be done on the armors, though. That kind of work needs complete reforging of the metal. We can redo the shields, though. It's going to be difficult, but if we run the forges constantly, we can make two million units in a month. They'll be really crude, we won't be able to do more than make a plate and weld two handles on it." The goblin answered him.

"As long as they work long enough to get us close to the human scum, I don't give two knuts about how they look." Bardaz grinned.

"They'll work, general. I think the spells will hold for maybe six hits before they fail." The forgemaster nodded.

"Good. Go and prepare. We attack in a month." Gringott snarled. The humans poked the sleeping dragon when they dared to attack them. Now they would perish in the flames.

* * *

"So, is this stuff safe?" One Nod soldier turned to his CO as they escorted several large tanker trucks, all pulling double trailers across the goblin city in Egypt, only for the man to grow silent and quail under the vicious glare sent by Miranda Lawson who was accompanying the convoy.

"The 'stuff' as you eloquently put it, is three hundred tons of highly concentrated heavier than air nerve gas. And while tailored for goblins, it will kill humans just as well, albeit a bit slower. Are you done asking moronic questions, or do you have a few more rattling in that empty cranium of yours?" Lawson snapped. Having her lab time interrupted to instruct grunts how to use the gas was making her irritable, but the schedule that she had implemented put her in the rotation and she couldn't complain about something she was responsible for after all.

"Dr. Lawson. We are honored by your presence." She smiled a little when she met with the CO of the operations in Egypt. Raveshaw was well known for his competence and faith.

"Gideon. It's a pleasure to see you again. I know you'll love my present. Three hundred tons of concentrated compound NU-8356-E. One of my teacher's last inventions." Miranda smiled as the tankers moved towards the cave entrances leading deeper into the caves.

"We have already prepared the gates per your instructions. Completely sealed with valves for the tanker hoses. From our surveys and seismic scans, we should flood pretty much all tunnels and caves in the entire Northern Egypt. Plus this city is the highest point of the network, so we don't expect any gas blowback, but even so I've ordered full NBC gear for everyone in the city." Raveshaw explained.

"Excellent. We have enough antidote and counter agent on hand to handle any unexpected issues. We should be ready to begin pumping within the hour. The gas will begin breaking down in a week, and should be fully cleared in two. You'll be able to send scouts down the tunnels once it's completely broken down."

With that, the operation began without any issue, and soon enough massive quantities of invisible death rolled down the many tunnels towards the unsuspecting goblins below, an event that took place simultaneously in all four captured cities and six other locations deemed optimal for maximal gas dispersal into the goblin tunnels.

* * *

"An intriguing plan, your Eminence. I admit I wouldn't have expected us to use nerve gas against the goblins." Umbridge commented as most of the Inner Circle gathered for a meeting to discuss their next step with the goblin war.

"Exactly why we're using it, madam. For all their disdain towards humans, goblins parallel the mentality of magical humans very closely. They were attacked by that which they perceive to be inferior, and their pride will not allow them to accept that. They will be forced to attack us if only to erase the stain on their honor. I have no doubt that hundreds of thousands of goblins had been gathering for a counterattack over the past month in the tunnels bellow. The same tunnels we just flooded with hundreds of tons of highly concentrated nerve gas." Kane grinned widely at her shocked face.

"We probably just wiped out a good chunk of their fighting force. And all it cost us was some chemicals." Danzo laughed as he imagined the sight of goblins choking to death from the invisible gas. It was a pleasant mental image.

"Make no mistake, the war is far from over, but this will show the scum that what they're facing is no ordinary foe. Are the troops ready for the next step?" Kane turned to Danzo.

"Yes, Prophet. Nearly the full might of the Militant Arm is mobilized and ready to descend on the goblin enclaves. Over ten million soldiers are ready to carry out your will." Danzo nodded.

"How long can we sustain this pace, Raymond?" Kane turned to Shen, who knew the logistics of the Brotherhood better than anyone.

"We have plenty of stockpiles, so we can keep this war going for maybe a year with our supplies at the present state. Since even the most pessimistic estimates say this war won't last for more than six months, we're doing good. Although I have more good news on that front. It seems Dr. Lawson's recent excursion in the field had an unexpected benefit." Shen reported with a smile. "One of her assistants accidentally left a sample of Tiberium in the transformative field overnight. Putting this cooked sample through the refining process yielded a 98.6% conversion of material."

"They cracked the refining problem." Kane grinned widely. That was extraordinary news. So many of his plans hinged on that particular discovery.

"Yes. The need to cook Tiberum before refining is a problem, but not a major one. We've already designed a structure with a two-step process. The raw Tiberium is fed into the cooking plant, where it slowly moves through a transformation field for twenty-four hours. The cooked crystals are then moved into external silos to create a buffer. Once a minimal amount is reached, we start to refine it into molding sludge, which we can then use in our factories to make anything we need. I have already issued orders for refineries, silos and factories to be built next to all our harvesting operations. The first one will be operational within a month, and I estimate that we'll reach maximum capacity by this time next year. This will also allow us to repurpose a lot of our current industrial capacity to things we can't produce with Tiberium like food or magical ingredients." Shen explained proudly. Lawson's eggheads may have cracked the problems, but it was his boys that made it all work for the good of Nod.

* * *

"Well, it seems thanks to you and Dr. Lawson, we just became a legitimate world power. I want the Engineering corps working hard. In the summer of 1995 we emerge into the light." Kane's proclamation shocked them all.

"So early? Are you sure that's wise?" Wilkins asked. He'd have to work his ass off to ensure none of the Brotherhood's assets in the legal world were identified and seized. There were also lots of companies that were tied to Nod in one way or another across the world, ties that Wilkins knew would serve them best if they stayed a secret.

"It is imperative. Our emergence will end the era of nations and unite the planet in two factions. Those who support us, and those that oppose us." Kane explained.

"You intend to start World War Three." Danzo stated.

"If you wish to call it that. I call it Phase One. My vision will proceed as planned, regardless of the outcome of the coming war." Kane surprised them again. His plans, even to his Inner Circle remained enigmatic.

"What do you mean, Prophet?" Umbridge asked quietly.

"The powers that claim to rule this world will not suffer our existence and the challenge to their supremacy we represent. They will coat their actions behind words like peace, justice and righteousness, but they will attack us. This is the important part. They must attack first. We will provoke them naturally, but in the public eye we must seem like the victims. Of course, no matter how hard they fight, they can't actually destroy us. Nearly 90% of our assets are hidden deep underground by science and magic they can never come close to understanding, and we're getting better at it with every day. With full use of Tiberium, we'll reach even greater heights of power. Which means that defeat is impossible, unless it is in a way we desire it." Kane began to explain part of his vision.

"So we let them think they've beaten us, offer a ceasefire and reparations that are meaningless considering we can restock using Tiberium, and play the beaten dog for as long it serves our purpose?" Wilkins added.

"Exactly. Of course while difficult we might also beat them. This is an unlikely outcome, since it will most likely require using a level of manpower and assets we'll need for Phase Two. We'll discuss this further in greater detail once the war actually starts. For now we will focus on the goblins." The discussion shifted again, with the Inner Circle pondering the revelations they received today, and wondering just what Kane was planning that had a global war as a mere opening move?

* * *

The aftermath of the gas attack and next wave of attacks proved to be the death knell for the goblin nation. With their numbers already low from their near extinction in pre-Roman times and the constant wars they waged against the far more numerous humans, the millions of casualties Nod inflicted on them while only suffering minor losses themselves were something the creatures were unlikely to recover from.

Already the goblins have had to hire more wizards and even squibs simply to cover the positions of goblins that had been drafted for their war against their enigmatic human enemy. Things eventually got so bad for them that even in Gringotts bank, a day came where there were more human than goblin workers. And while the goblins fought with the ferocity of a cornered rat, Nod knew that they could only delay their inevitable end. Once Nod was done, even if some small pockets survived, they'd quickly die out from inbreeding or when they revealed themselves. Nod had completely destroyed any hope the race had of recovering.

* * *

Meanwhile at Hogwarts, Harry had succeeded with his plans about Sirius Black. With full access to the architect of the castle and its wards, it was child's play to track down where the man entered the castle and to ambush him where there were nothing to witness the event.

"Ah, awake at last. Considering how appalling your state is, Mr. Black you recovered from the stunner rather quickly." Sirius managed to shake off his grogginess when he heard an unknown voice. A quick test told him he was securely tied down and also that he was unable to change in his animagus form. Looking up, he saw a complete stranger instead of an Auror or a member of Dumbledore's Order of the Phoenix.

The man before him was tall, with very short black hair and an immaculate goatee. His face looked familiar, but like no one that he knew. The most familiar were the eyes, which were a vibrant green like Lilly Potter's but where hers were warm and expressive, the man's were like two pieces of green ice.

"My name is Jacob Caine. Harry Potter and myself have certain shared… associations. He has asked me to locate you and ask you a few questions, especially regarding the history of yourself and his family." Kane gave the man a brief grin which told Sirius what would happen to him if he lied or if the publically known story turned out to be true.

"I did not betray James and Lilly. I would have died before that." Sirius spoke firmly with a stern gaze locked on his interrogator.

"Very well. Say I believe you. What happened twelve years ago, and who was the traitor?" Kane leaned a little closer to the man who began to tell him the whole sordid tale.

"How fitting that the traitor turns into a rat. I'm afraid you're out of luck though my friend. The little vermin has been missing for weeks. Seems living with the constant fear you might get to him proved too much and he decided to cut his losses and flee." Kane told Sirius, causing him to slump in his chair.

"Damn. The whole bloody reason I escaped in the first place was to get my hands on him and keep Harry safe." Sirius sighed slowly.

"Have no fear, Mr. Black. The rat will be located. As soon as he shows his face, we'll know and we'll get him. As for Harry, he's very safe. A maggot like Pettigrew would never manage to even get close to him, let alone hurt him." Kane assured him.

"So, what do I do now? Without the rat, I'm still a fugitive." Sirius asked, more himself than his companion.

"Easily remedied. We can make even someone like you disappear from the public eye. Head down to London, make sure you're seen a few times so that the Aurors know you're moving south, then head to this homeless shelter." Kane handed him a business card for a shelter in one of the poorer parts of London. "Tell the worker you're a lost brother looking for a path to follow. They'll tell you what to do next. If you do, I promise you that you will meet and speak with Harry Potter soon."

"Alright. Thanks for the clothes and food by the way." Sirius stood up and shook Kane's hand.

"It was the least I could do for a friend of the Potters. Until we meet again, Mr. Black." Kane gave him a smile.

"St. Kane's homeless shelter? I wonder what you've gotten yourself into this time Padfoot old boy." With a small shrug, the man also left the small room and headed out to seek his fortune.


	10. Chapter 10

**Another chapter done and one step closer to action. Sorry for the delay, but I had zero inspiration these past few months, which I hope will change in the future, but I make no promises since I know I've been a very unreliable author these past few years. I hope you can overlook my flaws and enjoy the story I've written.**

 **Chapter 10**

It took Sirius a few weeks to get to London, making sure to surprise some people in a few magical enclaves to ensure the Ministry knew he was moving away from Hogwarts. The shelter he was pointed to was located in one of the more rundown parts of the city where his ragged clothes and unkempt appearance drew little notice.

St. Kane's shelter was a large and worn down building but he noticed that it was well kept. The inside was clean and well lit and the people walking in and out gave him a welcoming smile as he walked in.

"Welcome to St. Kane's. How may we help you? We have warm food, showers and beds. Perhaps we can help you find some new clothes as well?" The young girl that worked at the shelter's registry greeted him with a soft smile.

"I'm a lost brother looking for a path to follow." Sirius gave her the phrase Jacob told him, and he noticed that while her face didn't change, there was a brief flash of something in her eyes.

"I'm sure we can help you. Jeremy, please take our new guest to room twelve to freshen up." The girl waved to one of the shelter workers who gave Sirius a quick look over and led him deeper into the shelter.

"Please sit. We just need to settle a few things before we send you on. Who was the person that sent you here?" Jeremy led him to a small office that was bereft of decorations save for a single desk with only a lamp and a phone on it and two chairs.

"He said his name was Jacob Caine." Sirius replied, feeling both curious and apprehensive about what he had stumbled into.

"Alright sir. One moment please." Jeremy lifted the phone and dialed a thirteen digit number.

"Hi cousin. Calling about the kids." He spoke a few seconds later, then waited for a few moments. "No chance of rain today, cricket is on." Another pause before he continued "Hey, game on, bring ten beers." After another pause, he continued "A new brother came in. Sent by Jacob Caine. Verify." Sirius watched the whole exchange with growing curiosity so he didn't miss the moment Jeremy's eyes grew wide in surprise and the look he gave him afterwards before he hung up.

"Everything checks out, Mr. Black. Would you like to get yourself cleaned up and eat something before we send you on?" Jeremy surprised him again, considering he never gave him his name.

"Your recruiter sent word you would be coming to this shelter. We rarely get wizards sent our way, but considering your situation in the magical world, I'm not surprised you were sent here. The Ministry would never think to look for you in this place." Jeremy surprised him yet again.

"You know about the magical world?" Sirius finally managed to settle on one of the questions rolling in his head.

"Yes we do. We are not so concerned with the Statute of Secrecy. Besides, what the Ministry doesn't know, won't hurt us." Jeremy chuckled.

"I could use a shower and some proper food." Sirius continued once his stomach made its presence and currently empty state known.

"Right this way." Jeremy led him to a large communal shower that was currently unused. "I'll have some fresh clothes brought for you. You can leave your rags in this basket and we'll get rid of them later."

Thirty minutes later and feeling like he had scrubbed off a decade of grime and filth off his skin, Sirius found himself greedily spooning a delicious thick broth as fast as he could manage without appearing too impolite to his company.

"I'd offer you something heartier, but based on how you look, you'd probably throw it up later. Our healers will straighten you out real quick, so you don't have to worry about it." Jeremy commented as he sat across him, eating a corned beef sandwich.

"I'm still curious about what this all is about. Is everyone here involved in whatever this is?" Sirius asked between bites.

"The shelter workers and some of the people here are a part of it, yes. The rest are just people down on their luck, and we're the only ones with the will and ability to help them." Jeremy replied.

"Alright, I'm done. What happens next?" Sirius had finished his soup and was eager to continue his exploration of the rabbit hole.

"Follow me." Jeremy led him down several corridors and a few flights of stairs down into the building's lower levels. To Sirius's immense surprise, he noticed that the shelter actually had four levels below ground. Finally, they came down to a short corridor that ended with a thick metal door which Jeremy opened by putting his hand on it considering there were no other means whatsoever to open it. As it slid to the side, Sirius was shocked to see the door was nearly four inches of solid metal.

On the other side was a very strange looking room. On top of some train tracks leading down a dark tunnel sat a peculiar looking cart.

"Sit down and I'll send you off to the London hub." Jeremy helped him in the cart and strapped him in. "Let me be the first to welcome you to the Brotherhood of Nod, Mr. Black."

With that, Jeremy pulled a lever on the wall and the cart shot off down the tunnel at great speed accompanied with the echoing scream of the man inside it. "This part never gets old."

* * *

While Sirius was taking his first tentative steps in the world of Nod, Kane was once again meeting with his Inner Circle.

"Alright, now that the goblins are more or less finished, we can move on with the big plan, but first how are the magical governments handling the disappearance of the goblin vermin?" Kane asked.

"Confused, mostly. We control the Egyptian Ministry, as well as most of the Eastern European ones with the exception of the Russians, but they're so busy killing each other they wouldn't notice anything strange if it fell on top of them riding a nuclear bomb while waving a cowboy hat." Umbridge grinned widely. "The French have launched an investigation, but the people they sent are ours. They'll find some corpses we left behind from the gas attacks and declare a plague struck the goblins. As for the British, they won't find anything even if I give them step by step instructions and hold their hand the whole way."

"Excellent. And what is our standing in the magical communities?" Kane asked Umbridge.

"A lot better than in the non-magical world. Thanks to centuries of pureblood oppression, nearly eighty percent of all Muggleborn living in Europe are either our members or under our influence, and contrary to what the purebloods think, the training we give them is by far superior. The Middle East is very similar, especially since we have a lot in common with the communities there, as well as the African tribes and shamans. Papa Midnite has the entire Caribbean in his grip, and through him and the Spanish and Portuguese Ministries we also have a good inroad into the South American magicals. The North American magicals will oppose us, but without British and French support, they won't be much of a threat. Danzo has the Far East in an iron grip, so no worries on that front. The Russian Red-White conflict is still going strong so nothing new there, and the Chinese magical pogrom has managed to more or less kill or push out any magical that's not a Maoist fanatic out of the country." Umbridge completed her report.

"Good. Mr. Wilkins, how are our plans for our coming out party on the other side of the mirror?" Kane turned to his civilian and non-magical world expert next.

"Proceeding apace, your Eminence. Yugoslavia and the rest of the Balkan countries with the exception of Greece are more or less already in our hands. We have to merely give the word, and these countries will openly join Nod. We can include over half of the Eastern European countries to this. Next, nearly forty percent of Africa is either prepared to openly join or support us to various degree, as are the bulk of the Central American countries, the Carribiean and the countries of northern South America. The biggest exceptions are Brazil, Argentina and Mexico and a few of the larger South American countries. While we have significant presence in these countries, we expect that for the most part, they will stand against us, so I have marked these countries merely as a source of recruits and limited resources." Wilkins began his report. "The bulk of the Middle East stands with us, with the exception of Israel and Iran. The Arabian countries are very divided at the moment but we might be able to swing a few around our way. The former Asian Soviet republics are too hot for us so we've had minimal success there but we managed to draw in a few of the smaller Caspian countries. South East Asia and Indonesia are mostly divided. Some countries will back us, others will oppose us."

"As for our enemies, the primary opposition in addition to the countries I mentioned already will be the NATO countries of course, the Commonwealth, as well as China, India, Pakistan, Japan and South Korea. North Korea from what we've determined will not support us, but neither will they oppose us." Wilkins concluded his report.

"Excellent work. I assume we'll have to stage coups in a number of these countries to earn their backing?" Kane asked Wilkins who nodded in agreement.

"Contact our supporters and allies in these countries, tell them we'll supply them with weapons, funds and specialist support, but they'll have to gather manpower on their own. As long as everything is settled by this time next year, we're set. Inform them once they get into power to focus on developing transportation infrastructure and industrial capacities." Kane ordered.

"Dr. Shen, how goes the development of my arsenal? We face a daunting task, and we'll have to be well prepared to meet it head on." Kane turned to the next member.

"Beyond expectations, Prophet. We have established several standard production patterns that we expect to cover all battlefield roles. The first item is the standard uniform for our troops." Shen pointed to the screen in the conference table, showing a military uniform in the standard black and red Nod colors. "More or less the same type of uniform most modern troops use, with the addition of special materials and techniques proprietary to us that make it nearly thirty percent more effective than the best on the market, and it's dirt cheap to make with Tiberium. Second is what we've established as the standard assault rifle for our squads. It combines the best parts of several designs while minimizing the flaws. We have also designed a reusable man-portable rocket launcher with variable ammo for use against armored vehicles and light aircraft."

"What about our elite forces?" Kane asked while he was going over the specs of the weapons. They were indeed very solid and robust designs that even the simplest soldier could use easily.

"We have refined the designs for laser weapons as well as the Tesla cannon, and we'll be producing these weapons exclusively for them as well as the officers. We've also made solid progress with a stealth suit for our Shadow squads, but we're still months away from a workable prototype. Fortunately the stealth tech is easier to work with on bigger objects so the stealth tank design is more or less complete." Shen continued. " For the rest of the vehicles, we designed several vehicles to cover all battlefield roles. First we have a light ATV with a heavy machinegun and four man transport capacity, followed by an attack cycle armed with two MLRS that can target both ground and air targets. Next we have a light tank which while not as resilient as the most commonly used MBTs, is also a lot faster and more maneuverable. This is complemented by the stealth tank's role as ambusher, a flame tank for close-range and anti-infantry combat as well as support from heavy self-propelled artillery. For heavy resistance we also possess a number of large SSM launchers."

"What about air support?" Kane continued.

"We obtained a large number of modified Apache helicopters, and sufficient capacity and knowhow to make as many more as we need. We also purchased a number of MIG-29 fighters, but compared to most large militaries, we have minimal air force so we'll have to use the assets we have carefully. Our navy, if it can even be called that is even more pitiful. I recommend we use what little ships we have for smuggling and covert operations since we can modify at least partially the stealth tech for them." Shen explained. "And finally, we have a number of strategic ordinance of variable yield."

"We won't be using strategic weaponry unless absolutely necessary. It represents a level of escalation that I'm not sure will suit our goals, but we'll see." Kane said with a frown. He had no intention to start a nuclear war, but a few key strikes might end up being necessary to achieve his goals. He would have to wait and see.

* * *

"What about base designs? We'll need to establish strong points to control our territories and deny access to our enemies."

"We have that covered as well. I give you the Mobile Construction Vehicle." Shen showed them an image of a large boxy vehicle on two large tank treads. "This vehicle can deploy itself on any sufficiently even terrain into a specialized construction building. Once deployed it can tap into our supplies of molding sludge and Tiberium using a recent breakthrough in portal spells to construct modular buildings. So far, the buildings we have designed are a power plant to provide energy for the base, a factory to construct vehicles and equipment on site, a long range radar facility and a barracks. Some my more creative engineers took some liberties with the design and called it the Hand of Nod."

Kane looked for a few moments silently at the large building that bore a large hand clutching the globe on top of it. "I like it. Make it the official design. Symbols are important in war after all. What else have you designed?" Kane asked.

"The rest are defensive structures. We have the standard things like pillboxes, gun turrets and SAM sites, but we've also added a flamethrower tower and this." Shen showed them an image of a large tower marked with the Nod symbol and topped by a large red crystal. "The Obelisk of Light. One shot of it can punch a hole in a modern MBT. Unfortunately, the tracking and aiming system has some trouble with targets moving past a certain speed, so it can't track aircraft, but anything on the ground is laser fodder. And at full power it has a rate of fire of ten seconds. The combination of these designs make our bases a target that can't be taken lightly." Shen replied proudly.

"What about long range weaponry like artillery or cruise missiles?" Lawson asked.

"The SAM sites can track and destroy cruise missiles, and the buildings are armored enough to withstand an artillery barrage long enough for our own artillery to track and counterattack, and the buildings are designed to be very easy to repair simply by replacing damaged components and armor plates. Plus all critical locations in these buildings are locked with a dual security system to defend against sabotage. A daily rotating code known only to key base officers and a Divination scanner. Even if an enemy can obtain the code, their lack of Divination will expose them." Shen smirked. He had designed a number of autonomous defense systems to guard the most important areas of the future Nod bases.

* * *

"Excellent, Dr. Shen. How are your own projects progressing, Dr. Lawson?" Kane asked.

"With the completion of the refinery and factory designs, we've moved on to some of the more exotic research topics like the stealth systems and project Re-Genesis." Lawson began. "The stealth systems for the tank are more or less complete, and we intend to spend the next year using the prototypes to stress test them and remove any unforeseen bugs. The stealth suits like Dr. Shen said are a bit more problematic, but we expect to crack them. We've figured out the optical camouflage, but we're having a little trouble with covering the heat signature and combining it all with the silencing and scent erasing charms, but it's mostly just trial and error until we find a combination that works. As for project Re-Genesis I can report a massive success. We have successfully managed to employ cybernetic implants in a Divination reanimated body to turn it into a controllable entity. The combination of implants and the effects of Tiberium on necrotic tissue allows us to deploy infantry units that can carry armor and weaponry much heavier than anything our living troops can manage. Now it is merely a matter of designing the optimal load out for these troops. We also have a rather special success in this project."

"This is Dr. Elena Petrova, one of my more talented students. Six months ago she was heavily injured in a lab explosion. She lost both legs, her left arm and suffered heavy injuries from shrapnel and burns. We managed to save her but the injuries left her comatose. Using cybernetics, we have managed to not only replace her lost limbs, but to awaken her as well. You could say she has the best of both worlds. The strength and resilience of the rest of the cyborgs combined with her mind. She has adapted well to her new existence, and has proven herself exceptionally skilled as a researcher in this subject as well. I'd like to recommend her as the head of project Re-Genesis." Lawson reported.

Kane said nothing for a few moments, he merely studied the picture of the heavily mechanized woman intently. "Do so. A compliment from you is heavy praise indeed. What about the CABAL project?"

"It will take about six months to construct the prototype. I'd like to thank you for approving this project, Prophet." Lawson replied.

"No thanks are necessary. In the coming conflict, we'll need a superior type of computer to perform battlefield analysis, tactical and strategic predictions and even provide command and control capability for our commanders. I believe NORAD is working on a prototype for something similar?" Kane turned towards Danzo.

"Project EVA, yes. They claim it represents a quantum leap in battlefield control. From what I've seen, it is inferior in every way to CABAL." Danzo replied calmly.

"Of course it's inferior. As if that sanctimonious blond bimbo Carter can come up with anything better than me." Lawson scoffed.

"Ah, I take it you know the person leading this project EVA?" Kane turned curiously towards Lawson.

"Captain Samantha Carter. We've met on several science conferences. A smug little bitch that thinks she's better than anyone else. Pity she never met my teacher. Compared to her she's a knuckle-dragging caveman." Lawson's tone dripped with contempt for the woman that dared to consider herself her rival.

* * *

"How are our troops, General Danzo?" Kane decided to continue the discussion.

"Growing by the day, Prophet. We are conducting daily drills to get used to the new equipment and to develop tactics to use them optimally. The veterans from the goblin wars have proven extremely useful for training the fresh members. Once we go public, I recommend we keep the current Militant Arm to secure our most critical locations and use fresh recruits for the rest. We can mix in veterans as needed to provide training and a solid chain of command." Danzo began. "As for our specialists and elite troops, they are busy working with the new gear we've provided them. The heavy armor and laser weaponry are a massive boon for our elites, and most of our commandoes are in love with the Tesla cannon and the heavy laser chaingun."

"Laser chaingun?" Kane turned to Shen with a raised eyebrow.

"The rotary barrel provides superior cooling and while the pulses are two microseconds shorter than those of the rifle, it has a rate of fire that's ten times higher so the damage output is actually much more significant." Shen replied.

"I see. Good work, everyone. If we proceed with this pace, we'll certainly catch the world by storm." Kane grinned widely as the meeting was concluded.

"How is the special project going, Dr. Lawson?" Kane signaled to the woman to stay behind.

"Good. Here are some of our preliminary conclusions." Lawson handed him a notebook that she pulled from an expanded pouch on her belt which he spent a few minutes reading before he returned it.

"Very good. Your team is certainly talented. Do you think they can manage to construct a prototype within five to ten years?" Kane asked.

"I believe so. As you've read we still have a number of issues to figure out, but I think that such a timeframe is viable." Lawson replied after several moments of pondering.

"Excellent. Keep up the good work, Dr. Lawson. Soon, our plans fill finally move forward." Kane grinned as the both of them walked out of the room.


End file.
